#i get it for online but when in person at the pop up shop they should let you buy everything individually..…not just certain things…..

[bishy437]

💚💜

[amyzworldds]

Title: Silent Screamer

Masterlist

Yn, seventeen’s noisy, online-addicted maknae, goes quiet to spite her teasing members, leaving fans worried. Pairing: Seventeen x 14th Member Genre: Humor, Fluff

It all started innocently enough. Seventeen's yn, the group’s chaotic 14th member and resident maknae, had built a reputation among carats as the loudest, wildest, and most internet-obsessed idol in kpop history. She was a full of energy—always screaming at the top of her lungs during practice, posting unhinged tiktok with Dokyeom (her partner-in-crime), and flooding weverse with the most random thoughts imaginable. One minute she’d be ranting about how Vernon ate her last ramen packet “VERNON OPPA, I TRUSTED YOU!”, the next she’d be uploading a blurry selfie with the caption, “is my left eyebrow possessed or is it just me?” carats adored her for it. She was their unfiltered queen.

Her tiktok duets with Dokyeom were legendary. The two of them once spent an entire day recreating every viral sound they could find, from DK dramatically lip-syncing “OH NO, I’M FALLING IN LOVE” while yn pretended to faint in the background, to yn doing an exaggerated aegyo dance while DK wheezed off-screen. Fans lived for their chaos. “DK and YN are the siblings we didn’t know we needed,” one carat commented. Another wrote, “They’re single-handedly keeping my Wi-Fi bill paid.”

But yn’s online presence wasn’t just limited to tiktok. Weverse was her personal diary. She’d post things like: “Woozi-oppa just glared at me for singing ‘Hot’ off-key in the shower… I think he’s plotting my demise,” or “Ordered a giant inflatable unicorn online. Arrived today. Mingyu-oppa popped it by sitting on it. I’m suing for emotional damages.” And don’t even get started on her shopping addiction. Every other day, a new package would arrive at the dorm—random stuff like a neon-green wig “for emergencies”, a set of glow-in-the-dark chopsticks “aesthetic”, or—most infamously—a life-sized cardboard cutout of herself. When it arrived, she proudly propped it up near the dorm’s front door, declaring, “This is so you oppas won’t miss me when I’m out of town! Look at it and remember your precious maknae!” The members stared at it, dumbfounded, as she beamed. “It’s like I’m always here with you!”

“Yn-ah,” Seungcheol had said, rubbing his temples, “we see you every day. We’re not gonna miss you that much.”

“Rude, Cheol oppa!” she’d huffed. “You’ll thank me when I’m on a solo schedule and you’re all crying because I’m not here to brighten your lives!”

“Yeah,” Jeonghan had smirked, “I’ll just cry into this creepy cardboard version of you staring at me every time I walk in. Super comforting.”

She’d stuck her tongue out at him and moved on, but the cutout stayed—lurking by the door like a silent, slightly judgmental yn clone.

She was noisy, she was wild, and she was always glued to her phone. That is, until one fateful day when everything changed.

--------------------------------------------------------------

It began during a casual group dinner. Yn was mid-rant about how she’d just spent 30 minutes arguing with a stranger in the comments of a random tweet about whether pineapple belongs on pizza “IT DOES, FIGHT ME!”, when Seungkwan finally snapped. “Yn-ah, do you ever stop being online? I swear, your phone is surgically attached to your hand.” The rest of the members laughed, nodding in agreement.

“Yeah,” Mingyu chimed in, smirking. “I bet you couldn’t survive a day without Wi-Fi. You’d probably cry for your tiktok like a baby.”

“Excuse me?!” Yn shot back, slamming her chopsticks down dramatically. “I am not that dependent on the internet! I could totally live without it!”

“Oh, really?” Jun said, leaning forward with that mischievous glint in his eyes. “Prove it, then. No phone, no tiktok, no weverse, no random packages of useless crap—like that life-sized you by the door that’s been judging me every morning. Let’s see how long you last, Miss ‘I Tweeted About My Sock Falling Off Yesterday.’”

“I DIDN’T TWEET THAT, I POSTED IT ON WEVERSE, OPPA!” Yn screeched, her voice echoing through the dorm. “And that cutout is a gift to you all! You’re welcome! And fine! I’ll prove it! Starting tomorrow, I’m going full mysterious-quiet-yn mode. No posting, no whining, no nothing. You’ll see—I’m not just some loud, whiny maknae who needs her phone!”

DK snorted. “Yeah, sure. I give it three hours before you’re begging me to film a tiktok with you.”

“OPPA, YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE ON MY SIDE!” yn wailed, flailing her arms. But the gauntlet was thrown. The bet was on.

--------------------------------------------------------------

The next day, yn went silent. Like, scarily silent. No random posts. No tiktok updates. No bursting into the practice room screaming, “Hoshi-oppa, I just saw a TikTok of a tiger doing backflips, we need to try that!” Nothing. She just sat there during rehearsals, arms crossed, lips pursed, rolling her eyes dramatically every time one of the members tried to tease her. The life-sized cutout by the door stood as her only spokesperson, staring blankly at the oppas as they walked by.

“Aw, look at our little maknae,” Minghao cooed, ruffling her hair. “Trying so hard to be mysterious. What’s next? You gonna start wearing a trench coat and sunglasses indoors?”

Yn glared at him, swatting his hand away. “I’m proving a point, oppa. Keep laughing. You’ll see.”

The members couldn’t help themselves—they kept poking at her. “Bet she’s dying to check her phone right now,” Wonwoo said casually, scrolling through his own device. “Probably missing her daily dose of arguing with carats about whether cats or dogs are better.”

“I AM NOT!” Yn snapped, then immediately clamped her mouth shut, realizing she’d broken her 'quiet' persona. She huffed, crossed her arms tighter, and turned away, muttering, “Whatever. At least my cutout’s still here to remind you I exist.”

“Oh, we can’t forget you with that thing around,” Hoshi muttered, shuddering as he glanced at the cardboard yn. “I tripped over it last night and screamed because I thought it was a ghost.”

By day three, the fans noticed. Carats flooded weverse and tiktok with posts like, “Where’s YN? Did she lose her phone?” and “No random rants about Dino oppa stealing her snacks… is she okay?!” One fan even started a hashtag: #BringBackNoisyYN. The silence was deafening, and the fandom was in a full-on panic.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Fast forward to a week later. Seungcheol, Jeonghan, and Joshua decided to hop on a Weverse live to calm the fans down. The three of them sat in the dorm’s living room, surrounded by yn’s pile of abandoned packages. The life-sized cutout loomed by the door in the background, its unblinking stare adding an extra layer of absurdity to the scene. The chat was already buzzing.

“Oppa, where’s yn?!” one comment read. “Is she sick? She hasn’t posted in DAYS!”

“Yeah, she’s usually so loud and chaotic—what’s going on?” another fan typed.

Seungcheol let out a deep, hearty laugh, leaning back in his chair. “Oh, carats, don’t worry. Our maknae’s fine. She’s just… on a mission.”

“A mission?” Joshua echoed, grinning. “More like a tantrum.”

“Okay, here’s the tea,” Jeonghan said, leaning into the camera with that signature sly smile. “Our little yn-ie got mad because we teased her about being too loud and too online. You know how she’s always posting stuff like, ‘Seungkwan oppa yelled at me for breathing too loud’ or ‘I just ordered a disco ball for the dorm, don’t tell Woozi oppa?' Well, we told her she couldn’t survive without her phone, and she took it personally.”

“Very personally,” Seungcheol added, chuckling. “She’s been sulking around the dorm all week, trying to prove she can be ‘quiet and mysterious.’ It’s hilarious.”

The chat exploded. “LMAO YN IS SO DRAMATIC,” one fan wrote. “She’s really out here trying to be a silent queen??”

“She’s doing a decent job, though,” Joshua admitted, smirking. “She hasn’t whined at us in, like, four days. Usually, she’s screaming, ‘Mingyu oppa, stop eating my snacks!’ or ‘DK-oppa, let’s film a tiktok right now!’ But now? She just rolls her eyes and walks away. It’s kinda creepy.”

“Creepy but funny,” Seungcheol said. “Yesterday, Hoshi tried to get her to crack by jumping out from behind a door with that life-sized cutout of herself she got—oh yeah, she bought that thing so we ‘wouldn’t miss her’ when she’s out of town and stuck it by the door to ‘remind us of her greatness.’ Anyway, she didn’t even scream when he did it. Just glared at him and left. I think he’s still traumatized.”

Jeonghan snickered. “Oh, and don’t get me started on her shopping habit. We told her half her packages are useless junk—like that glow-in-the-dark toilet seat cover she got last month, or that cardboard yn staring at us 24/7. She got so mad, she swore she’d stop ordering stuff. But I saw her sneaking a peek at her phone last night. Bet she’s got a new shipment of random crap coming tomorrow.”

The fans were losing it in the chat. “GLOW-IN-THE-DARK TOILET SEAT?? SHE IS A GENIUS,” one wrote. “The cutout so they won’t miss her?? She’s iconic even when she’s quiet,” another added.

“So yeah,” Seungcheol concluded, still grinning. “She’s not missing or sick or anything. She’s just proving a point. Our wild, noisy maknae is trying to be all mysterious now. Don’t worry, carats—she’ll break eventually. She can’t resist tiktok forever. And honestly, that cutout’s doing a terrible job of replacing her—it doesn’t scream or order random junk.”

--------------------------------------------------------------

Sure enough, two days later, yn caved. The members were in the middle of a dance practice when she suddenly burst into the room, phone in hand, screaming, “DK-OPPA, THERE’S A NEW TREND WE HAVE TO DO RIGHT NOW! I CAN’T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!” She shoved her phone in his face, showing off some absurd filter that made their heads look like potatoes.

DK doubled over laughing. “I KNEW IT! You lasted, what, nine days? That’s a new record, yn-ah!”

“Shut up, oppa!” she whined, stomping her foot. “I proved my point! I can be quiet and mysterious! Now move, we’re filming this! And don’t touch my cutout—it’s still guarding the door!”

Within an hour, her tiktok was back online—a video of her and DK cackling as they danced with potato heads, captioned, “My mysterious era: officially over. Miss me, carats?” Weverse followed with a post: “I’m back, oppas are annoying, and I just ordered a lava lamp. Don’t tell Jeonghan-oppa. P.S. My cutout says hi.”

The fans rejoiced. The dorm was noisy again. The life-sized yn by the door stood watch as packages piled up once more. And seventeen's wild maknae was back where she belonged—screaming, posting, and driving her thirteen oppas absolutely insane.

[norrisjpg]

ceilings

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summary: in which, she was always an afterthought, an accessory, just his plus-one. but the british boy in the apartment above her was about to change everything.

content: broken relationship, mutual pining, aerophobia, end of a relationship, sad/comfort, slow burn, swearing, making out, implied sexual activities, fluff

pairing: lando norris x fem!oc

rora's thoughts: i am literally so in love with lando's suzuka helmet thus this piece was born, even though it has nothing to do with it at all really! i hope you enjoy, and don't forget to comment and interact, i love hearing your thoughts!!

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THERE WAS a comforting stillness about the apartment, a tranquil air settling around the practically bare space.

monaco was different to italy, it was somewhat quieter, peaceful in the evening, but contrastingly bustling at around mid-day. the air smelt richer, the kind of rich you could get sick on, but never get tired of, never get bored of.

she was excited, there was this new-found buzz around her. it was a fresh start, everything was new, nothing was familiar, and she was totally and utterly in love with it.

the monegasque sun had a way of dressing everything in an angelic amber light at sunset, boring white walls turned to sleek expressions of beauty in the fading beams.

goosebumps rippled across her sunkissed skin as the moon rose, scattering the prettiest of constellations across the deepening black sky.

but, as usual, lily's night was spent alone.

the mattress on the floor on her not-yet bedroom felt lonely, meant to be filled by some form of warmth only another person could bring. that kind of feeling, the one that resembled belonging, a person that felt like home, was absent in her life.

the man she called her boyfriend, raphaël carson, wasn't exactly relationship material, per-say.

and no, she definitely didn't love him. and yes, the feeling was almost certainly mutual - but unspoken between the two of them. they were just in a relationship, an agreement, somewhat of a contract.

lily and raphaël had been together for the worst part of two years, and their relationship had been rocky, to put it lightly - but we didn't need to get into that.

hey lily going to have to take a rain check on tomorrow sorry x

a sigh left her lips as the messages popped up on her screen in quick succession.

tomorrow was supposed to be the day lily went shopping for the new apartment, for a new everything. she couldn't not go, but now she'd have no one to help her carry all of her new things up to her apartment, on the second-to-top floor of the fontivielle building.

well, she would just have to make do.

• • • •

SHE WAS about to commit a crime, she thought at least.

lily had opted to order online, after the absence of her boyfriend's help - not that he would have been much anyway.

it was on her third trip that she started to feel the ache in her arms, and the humbling experience of being denied help by the delivery driver that had delivered her furniture sent her mind into a slight rage too.

when the fifth trip she had made came around, she was exhausted. people, who she assumed to be her neighbours, had passed with kind smiles and polite mutters of greeting, with no offers of help - not that lily expected them to, of course.

there was this one man that passed her, clad in a grey nike tracksuit, airpods in, and a chain with four golden lines as a charm. what caught her attention was the way he smelt.

he carried an aroma of polo red, lynx, and a hint of vanilla - he was enticing.

his quick glance at her lingered a little too long, and he sent her a small, warm smile as he passed.

great.

lily resumed her previous activity, trying to carry four moderately large plants in through her front door, almost smashing three of them in the process.

"would you like some help?" a british voice spoke up from the hallway as she finally managed to place the plants down.

the girl turned around, met with the same vanilla-smelling man from earlier - oh, so he was british too.

"um... yes please, if you don't mind." she replied with a polite smile, nodding as she walked toward him and out of her apartment once more. "all of my stuff is down in my car, and the delivery driver couldn't help, so... yeah."

"oh, i'm pretty sure i had the same guy when i got my living room delivered, he's such a dick." the man responded as they made their way toward the elevator.

"agreed." lily nodded, glancing at him as they entered the lift together. "i'm lily, by the way."

"lando," lando said back.

"as in the star wars character?" she asked, eyebrows knitted together with a small smile on her lips.

"nope, i think my mum just liked the name." he shrugged with a laugh. "so, you've just moved in, yeah?"

"yeah, yesterday." the italian explained. "how long have you lived here for then?"

"uh, 'bout four years now, i think?" lando tilted his head to look at her, down a little bit as she was shorter than him. "i moved here before the twenty-two season, so... yeah, four years. so, where are you from?"

"florence, in italy." lily nodded softly. "you're from the uk, right?"

"yeah, yeah." he nodded as the elevator dinged open. "born in bristol, which is in england."

"oh, never been there, is it nice?"

"bit of a shithole, to be honest, london and surrey are much nicer - you should go sometime." he suggested as they approached her car.

"yeah, maybe."

• • • •

LARGE HOTELS always had a way of draping everything in velvet and beauty, silk whispers travelling through trees and settling in the expensive air.

"you actually look nice," raphaël commented, lips briefly pressing to her temple as if it was a chore. "i mean, at least you tried, right?"

a quiet hum came from lily's lips as she nodded, trying to eye the bar as they entered the venue. she arrived on his arm, looking effortlessly gorgeous and faintly smelling of the perfume her mother had gifted her last year for her birthday.

her dress was nothing short of divine - silky fabric clinging to her, hugging the subtle dips of her hips and cascading down to her ankles. the louboutins on her feet were just tall enough to be uncomfortable, but padded enough to be bearable - if anything, more comfortable than she felt on the man she called her boyfriend's arm - so, she excused herself to the bar.

"boyfriend, then?" a familiar voice said, as the feeling of a warm body behind her crept up to her skin.

"oh, hi lando." lily smiled softly. "yeah, that's raphaël."

"well, his shoes seriously don't go with that suit." lando raised his eyebrows. "and he sounds like a mutant turtle."

"a mutant turtle?" she audibly laughed, mortified by the insult.

"yeah, the um... teenage mutant ninja turtles thing."

"sounds ridiculous to me." lily shook her head. "and i did try to tell him about the shoes, but well... he didn't listen to me, clearly."

"so, you're a model then, miss ainsley?" lando asked, leaning against the bar as lily was handed her drinks.

"oh, you've been doing some stalking then, have you?"

"and you haven't?" he laughed, "you're very... yeah."

"well, mr mclaren formula 1 driver, yes, i am a model." she said matter-of-factly. "i can't believe you didn't mention that you're a literal f1 driver too."

"i try not to mention it, like... it warps some peoples' opinions of you, you know?"

"understandable," lily was about to say something else, but an arm snaked it's way around her waist.

"alright?" raphaël said, fingers digging into her hip. "was wondering where my drink got to."

"yeah, here." she said bluntly, sliding the drink to him. "this is lando, he lives above me."

"nice to meet you, mate." lando nodded, sticking a hand out toward her boyfriend.

raphaël mumbled something in response, before walking off with the drink and completely ignoring lando.

"sorry about him, he's a twat sometimes." she replied, slightly embarrassed by the behaviour of her significant other.

"i can tell," lando breathed out, laughing a bit. "it's fine, don't worry."

and just like that, the anxious edges of the night softened into uncontrollable giggles and a lack of silence between the two. no pauses, just lovely, unserious chatter between the pair.

they had found a sofa, overlooking the pretty ocean and away from the boring talk of the event, not that either of them could remember why they were there anymore. it was too natural, every laugh was genuine, every look lingered with unspoken affection and a newfound interest in getting to know someone - the first either of them had experienced in a while.

"liliana?" raphaël's voice was heard, and dreaded by the italian girl. "i want to leave, let's go - oh, there you are."

"we're leaving?" lily tilted her head, a look of subtle disappointment in her eyes.

"yeah, let's go." he spoke bluntly.

• • • •

"LILY?" A VOICE yelled from the pitlane, a tanned hand shielding his eyes from the sun beaming down in the direction of the woman leaning over the balcony.

"lando!" lily replied, smiling at the young driver waving up at her.

it was the monaco grand prix, the weather was warm, the breeze was light, and the aura around the mclaren garage was one of confidence and subtle smugness - they were leading both championships after all.

the roar of an indescribably loud engine blocked out what the brit was hollering up to her, but he was jogging up the stairs to her hospitality within seconds.

"fancy seeing you here, miss ainsley." lando laughed as he approached the girl, his race suit hanging low around his hips with a black fireproof clinging to his torso.

"can't say the same for you, mr norris." she smiled in response, easily reciprocating as he lightly hugged her.

"so, how are you?" he asked, so casually cool as fans swarmed around them, nerves creeping on lily's face. "i haven't seen you since... the mastercard event, where your boyfriend stole you away from me."

she audibly laughed, if anything it was lando stealing her attention from raphaël - which didn't take much, actually - but there was something about the way he did it so effortlessly.

"i'm good, yeah, i'm good." she nodded, visibly a little overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people around them, listening in on their conversation as they waited for lando's attention. "how are you?"

"i'm feeling good, yeah, this weekend looks good." he nodded, leaning against the balcony. "hey, do you want a tour of the garage?"

lily laughed again, this time at the sheer randomness of the question.

"uh, yeah, sure." she replied, glancing around the crowd of people for her boyfriends. "i just need to let raphaël know where i'm going."

"do you not have a nickname for him or something?" lando asked, noticing the constant full use of his name.

"he likes to be called by his actual name, no nicknames." she pursed her lips, realising how ridiculous it sounded once she'd said it out loud.

"oh right, i see." what a prick, in other words. "he sounds... yeah."

"don't even," she huffed with a breath resembling amusement. "actually, he probably won't even notice that i'm gone, so... yeah, let's go."

"perfect." lando smiled, holding his hand out, which earned a confused look from the italian. "for your safety, of course."

she shrugged and placed her slender hand into his, letting him quickly lead her through the myriad of different people, and down the stairs, through the 'mclaren team only' barrier on the stairs, then into the papaya garage.

"these," lando said as he let go of her hand and skipped over to the headsets on the wall, picking up the one that had a '4' neatly printed onto the side. "are for you."

he padded over to where she was waiting, and gently brushed some stray hair behind her ears and shoulders, before pulling the headphones apart and placing them on her head. she caught herself gazing at the almost perplexed look on his face as he adjusted them to fit her, before he placed them around her neck instead.

"you should feel privileged, you know? you're getting a deluxe tour." lando began. "they're the set i'm given for my plus-one. if i had one, that is."

"no girlfriend then?" the words slipped from her mouth before her brain had even registered the question she wanted to ask.

"wouldn't you like to know," the driver teased as they walked down the corridor together. "but no, no girlfriend, no nothing - i've been single for a while."

"ah, i see." she nodded, going to say something else, but her expression turned to one of a deer in headlights as the hallway opened up into a bustling garage of papaya and collected precision.

"come on, i'll show you the car." lando smiled, catching his lower lip between his teeth happily as he grabbed lily's hand once more, tugging her toward his championship-leading car.

the model hurried behind him, laughing as he practically ran toward his car, pretty in papaya with a silver '4' etched into the carbon fibre.

lando was explaining all of the delicate intricacies of the machine, lily was lost in awe of how much there was going on in one vehicle, but enticed by the admirable look in his eyes. the way he was talking about this thing most considered to be a metal monster, the gleam in his eyes and the smile on his face.

god, what was happening to her?

• • • •

CARLOS AND LANDO inhabited a small white table in the corner of the golf club's brunch bar, chatting about the brit's plans for a vacation to greece, and the spaniard's plans to possibly propose to rebecca over the off-season.

"so, who was the girl you were with in monaco?" carlos asked, taking a drink of the cocktail on the linen tablecloth. "i saw you in the garage with her, the brunette?"

"oh, she lives above me, her name is lily." lando began, a smile spreading to his lips. "she's a model, from italy. but she has this boyfriend and he's such a prick."

"you've got it bad." he pointed out, chucking at him. "you've got it real bad."

"i've got what?"

"you so like her, camarada." the spanish man nodded, tapping his fingers on the table. "and she has a boyfriend, so you are screwed."

he didn't even bother to deny it, carlos knew him too well.

so what? maybe he did like her? it wasn't like he could do anything about it either way, she had a boyfriend - a shit one at that. but, he was no homewrecker, and she seemed stable, financially at least, not that it would be any different with him.

LILY HAD made a friend, and her name was alexandra saint mleux.

alex and lily had met each other at the monaco grand prix, hitting it off immediately.

after her little adventure with lando around the mclaren garage, he had taken her to the ferrari garage, with the hopes that he'd slowly but surely integrate her more frequently into his life - so why not better introduce her to a close friend?

"so, raphaël then?" alexandra asked, sipping on the small cup of coffee on the tiny wooden table between them.

"yeah, we've been together for two years, now." lily replied, nodding.

"are you happy with him?"

and for the first time, she hesitated.

no, of course she wasn't happy with him. he was arrogant, and mean, and uncaring, and selfish, and downright rude.

"yeah, i am."

truthfully, it sounded like she was trying to tell herself that more than the art student across the table from her.

"i may have only met you a few weeks ago, but i know when someone is lying, lily." alexandra raised her eyebrows. "so, what's the deal then?"

"i don't know, alex." lily sighed gently, pinching the bridge of her nose. "he's just... yeah."

"come on, explain it." she pressed, sensing there was something deeper.

"it's just sometimes he acts like i'm an inconvenience, like... like i'm the last thing on his mind." the model began. "and i'm not saying i want to be the first, but-"

"no, no, you should be the first thing, lily." alexandra interrupted. "you're his girlfriend - whatever he does for a living, whoever his friends are, you should be priority number one."

• • • •

AEROPHOBIA means the irrational fear of flying, and lily ainsley was definitely an aerophobic.

"just get over it, you travel all the time, lily." raphaël commented, rolling his eyes as his girlfriend squeezed his hand for some sort of comfort.

"it doesn't mean i like flying." she replied, frowning as he dropped her hand.

"whatever." he huffed, walking onto the jet before her.

the sleek mclaren jet was filled with engineers and mechanics, coaches and technicians. despite the number of interesting and vaguely familiar faces she could interact with, lily was hoping to see one face in particular - but he didn't seem to be there.

raphaël had spotted some buddies from his old marketing firm, so before the plane had even taxied to the runway, he had moved seats and lily was alone.

"is this seat taken?"

she didn't even have to look up at the person asking before a smile spread onto her lips, it was lando, of course.

"depends on who wants to sit there." lily teased, raising her eyebrows.

the british driver laughed and sit down, cramming his hand luggage under his seat.

"where's the mutant turtle then? i heard he was on this flight." lando asked.

"over there with some friends from his old job." the model shrugged casually, and she was about to speak again, but the plane started rumbling forward.

lily inhaled sharply, gripping the sides of the chair tightly.

she had always hated flying. when she was little, she and her father had watched one to many of those 'air crash investigation' episodes on the national geographic channel, which is probably where the fear stemmed from in the first place. but then, on a holiday to paris with her family, the plane had to touchdown and take off again, which gave her a little bit of trauma.

so therefor, lily ainsley was a chronic aerophobic - not that her boyfriend seemed to care anyway.

but lando noticed.

he noticed the way her breath quietly hitched, the way the grip of her small hands tightened on the armrests, the way her torso tensed as the plane trundled forward.

and he noticed the look on her face when he placed his hand over her own stressed one.

"you okay?" lando asked softly, looking at her with nothing but concern and a hint of something else in his gaze.

"i hate flying." she mumbled, taking a deep breath.

he gave her hand a comforting squeeze, earning an affectionate smile from her.

"you'll be okay, i'm here." he reassured the italian woman.

lily glanced at him, an appreciative expression on her face. there was something else in her eyes, pining maybe? whatever it was, the feeling was entirely mutual from lando.

"thankyou, lan."

the nickname that tumbled from her lips made his heart stutter and his tummy flutter - fuck, there was no way he was getting this flustered over a simple nickname.

god, what was happening to him?

• • • •

SATURDAY WAS always lily's favourite day of the week.

it brought relaxing tranquillity in the daytime, and usually glamourous party in the evening - the perfect contrast.

singapore managed to make the evening fizz with the clink of non-alcoholic champagne in pristine glasses, and hum with excited chatter in the heat of the night. the country had the best way of painting a sky in the navy tones of an alive night, and making prestigious parties sound like something out of a millionaire's dream.

however, the saturday in question hadn't exactly gone to plan for lily.

"there's no point in you going, it's not like you actually have any friends," he shrugged, splayed out on his couch at his apartment in singapore. "well, there at least."

the off-hand comment from raphaël had sent her practically mental at him - screaming, shouting, two years of built-up frustration all released at one moment.

what was he talking about?

the mclaren team had invited lily as a guest to singapore, and raphaël insisted he come as her plus-one, even though he definitely wouldn't have invited her if it was the other way around - not that lando liked the guy enough to have him stick around for the week before one of the most gruelling races on the calendar.

and just like that, almost two years of hidden glares and stolen eye-rolls was over.

alexandra was in monaco with charles still, so she went to the only person she knew well enough to show up at his room unannounced.

the door opened and so did her tear ducts, salty streams of water trickling down her face as the dazed man in front of her pulled her immediately into a hug.

"we don't have to talk about it," was the first thing lando said. "you don't have to tell me."

"we broke up," she mumbled into his chest. "i broke up with him."

it may have sounded sick, but he smiled. lando fucking smiled.

a weight had lifted off of both of them in that moment - lando the guilt of falling for someone in a relationship, and lily the stress of being in an unhappy relationship, and some other things too.

an eternity passed, worlds died and were reborn - the sun could have imploded for all the two cared.

"you still going to the gala tonight?" he asked gently, hands resting on her lower back.

"i don't know," lily mumbled. "i don't have anyone to-"

"go with me." lando said simply.

she smiled weakly, "yeah, okay."

• • • •

"SO, JUST FRIENDS?" oscar pried, taking a swig of the almost nice zero-percent champagne.

"just friends." lily replied, shaking her head politely.

the younger australian's company was refreshing, someone who didn't know of her now ex-boyfriend, where there was no subtle judgement for staying with someone as mentally tiring as him. she'd only met oscar around an hour ago, but she would definitely consider him a friend, he was sweet, funny, and completely and utterly in love with his girlfriend, who also happened to be called lily.

lando was entertaining some sponsors, boorishly talking away with elderly investors like his livelihood depended on it - because he knew once he was done, it was oscar's turn, and he could have lily to himself for the rest of the evening.

"i find that hard to believe, you know?" the australian shrugged, nodding his head in response. "i've never seen lando like this, i mean this is only my third season with him, but he's just different when he talks about you."

"he talks about me?" she tilted her head, a small sheepish smile raising to her lips.

"he doesn't shut up about you, lily." oscar told her, laughing breathily. "it's annoying actually, he always finds a way to bring you up, even andrea knows at this point."

she smiled, a soft pink heat spread across her cheeks, she was blushing. the girl glanced over at lando, who was deep in conversation with an older man in a smart suit - but he still managed to send a kind smile over to her.

oscar and lily held a steady conversation, but it was soon interrupted by two gentle hands on lily's waist, mindful of the delicate fabric holding her dress together.

"osc, you're up, buddy."

the younger mclaren driver rolled his eyes, politely leaving lando and lily on their own together.

"fuck, i need to sit down." the brit said, spinning her around to face him. "come with me?"

she nodded, humming as her cheeks heated up upon making eye contact with the taller brunette. he replaced the hands on her waist with a singular one sprawled across the bare skin of her lower back, guiding her toward the high stools and tables.

a chair was quickly pulled out for her by his free hand, and she thanked him quietly, before lando himself sat down opposite her.

"i'm sorry, i ditched you." he began, resting his head on his palm. "stupid sponsors and media shit, honestly."

"it's okay, don't worry." lily shook her head, a reassuring look on her face. "oscar's lovely, by the way, why have you never introduced us before?"

"i don't know, i didn't want to be too forward, you know?"

"well, for future reference, mr norris," she cooed. "nothing is too forward, with you at least."

it was his turn to blush, the tips of his ears tinging a pretty pink colour as the heat rose to his cheeks.

he smiled shyly, "i'll um.. i'll keep that in mind then, lils."

"good, good."

• • • •

MONACO WAS starting to feel like home, so the salty air was a relief to her when she stepped off of the jet and onto the runway.

"still want to come over for dinner?" lando asked, wheeling two suitcases behind him - and one of them wasn't his, but he insisted he carry them.

"promise me you're not cooking?" lily teased, climbing into the sleek black jeep, shuffling over so lando could clamber in next to her.

"oh, you'd be privileged to experience my culinary expertise." he rolled his eyes with a smile on his face.

"and experience violent nausea? oh, yeah, count me in."

"nasty girl, you are, ainsley." the british driver joked, laughing with her.

"and you wouldn't have it any other way, norris."

lando just smiled, internally agreeing with her, externally humming sarcastically.

the rest of the drive was filled with warm laughter or comfortable silence, a one where the sound of their beating hearts could be muffled by the sheer weight of the affection between the pair.

they stole quick glances at each other through the extremely short drive, catching the eye of the other once or twice and smiling softly.

lando's apartment always smelt warm, like a heated blanket on a winter's day. it made her body relax and any stress melt away with the icy barrier society formed around her mind. it was also always surprisingly clean for a constantly travelling man in his mid-twenties - maybe he had a cleaner, maybe he did it himself - but either way the effort was there.

"lily?" her name sounded angelic when it came from his mouth.

she turned, soul stuttering as her face was met with the close proximity of his chest. before she could even look up at him, his hand was on the side of her neck, thumb tilting her head to meet his gaze.

his eyes softened, gently lighting up. he looked at her like she'd stepped out of heaven itself, sighing affectionately as if she was part of a dream he'd not been able to shake from his mind.

"have i ever told you how pretty you are?"

lip caught between his teeth, eyelashes long and half-hooded eyes, pupils as large as they could grow. he was a sight for sore eyes - she felt sorry for anyone who was visually impaired.

"oh shush." she brushed it off, laughing, quiet and real.

"don't do that," lando shook his head. "don't dismiss yourself, you're gorgeous, lils."

"thankyou, lando."

"please." he murmured, eyes flitting over her face.

"please what?" she asked, wanting to recoil in the best way possible as he looked at her like that.

"let me kiss you, please."

there was pause in her expression, easily noticed by her lack of response, so he started talking again - "i've been falling for you since the gala, since the plane, since the stupid mastercard event, ever since the plants. and i really-"

within an instant, her arms were around his neck and her lips were on his. soft, hesitant, tentative, and borderline nervous - but it felt like home. the shape of his darker lips fit perfectly against her own soft pink ones, and his hands moulded into the dips of her hips like they were sculpted from the same soul, split into two.

his eyes widened a little, before fluttering closed easily, melting into the shorter girl's touch. her dainty fingertips tugged at the base of his mullet, humming into his lips as his hands pulled her closer into him by her lower back.

his tongue softly pressed at the seam of her lips, politely asking for entrance, to which she quickly obliged - parting her mouth enough for him to slide in.

a groan vibrated from the back of his throat and his grip tightened, before he walked her backward until she was pinned up against the wall. once her back hit the wall, he pulled away for air, lightly panting, hot breath hitting her face as he hooked his hands under her thighs.

"up," he mumbled lowly, signalling for her to come up to him.

in a few seconds, she was wrapped around him, legs squeezing tightly around him.

"fucking hell." lando breathed out, biting his lip as he gazed at the breathless girl in his arms.

her tongue darted out to wet her lips, and that was it.

it was messier, hungrier, filled with more desperation than before. he pushed his hips up against her, teeth nipping at her lower lip teasingly before he slid his tongue into her warm mouth with no gentle press of permission this time - making it all the hotter.

fuck, it was going to be a long night.

• • • •

i do not give permission for my works to be re-written, re-published, or published on any other platform.

© norrisjpg 2025

[subjectsix]

KIP'S BIG POST OF THINGS TO MAKE THE INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY SUCK A LITTLE LESS

Post last updated November 23, 2024. Will continue to update!

Here are my favorite things to use to navigate technology my own way:

A refurbished iPod loaded with Rockbox OS (Rockbox is free, iPods range in price. I linked the site I got mine from. Note that iPods get finicky about syncing and the kind of cord it has— it may still charge but might not recognize the device to sync. Getting an original Apple cord sometimes helps). Rockbox has ports for other MP3 players as well.

This Windows debloater program (there are viable alternatives out there, this one works for me). It has a powershell script that give you a little UI and buttons to press, which I appreciate, as I'm still a bit shy with tech.

Firefox with the following extensions: - Consent-O-Matic (set your responses to ALL privacy/cookie pop-ups in the extension, and it will answer all pop-ups for you. I can see reasons to not use it, but I appreciate it) - Facebook Container ("contains" Meta on Facebook and Instagram pages to keep it from tracking you or getting third party cookies, since Meta is fairly egregious about it) - Redirect Amp to HTML (AMP is designed for mobile phones, this forces pages to go to their HTML version) - A WebP/AVIF image converter - uBlock Origin and uBlacklist, with the AI blacklist loaded in to kill any generative AI results from appearing in search engines or anywhere.

Handbrake for ripping DVDs— I haven’t used this in awhile as I haven’t been making video edits. I used this back when I had a Mac OS

VLC Media Player (ol’ reliable)

Unsplash & Pexels for free-to-use images

A password manager (these often are paid. I use Dashlane. There are many options, feel free to search around and ask for recs!). There is a lot that goes into cybersecurity— find the option you feel is best for you.

Things I suggest:

Understanding Royalty Free and the Creative Commons licenses

Familiarity with boolean operators for searching

Investing in a backup drive and external drive

A few good USBs, including one that has a backup of your OS on it

Adapter cables

Avoiding Fandom “wikias” (as in the brand “Fandom”) and supporting other, fan-run or supported wikis. Consider contributing if its something you find yourself passionate or joyful about.

Finding Forums for the things you like, or creating your own*

Create an email specifically for ads/shopping— use it to receive all promotional emails to keep your inbox clean. Upkeep it.

Stop putting so much of your personal information online— be willing to separate your personal online identity from your “online identity”. You don’t owe people your name, location, pronouns, diagnoses, or any of that. It’s your choice, but be discerning in what you give and why. I recommend avoiding providing your phone number to sites as much as possible.

Be intentional

Ask questions

Talk to people

Remember that you can lurk all you want

Things that are fun to check out:

BBSes-- here's a portal to access them.

Neocities

*Forums-- find some to join, or maybe host your own? The system I was most familiar with was vbulletin.

MMM.page

Things that have worked well for me but might work for you, YMMV:

Limit your app usage time on your smartphone if you’re prone to going back to them— this is a tangible way to “practice mindfulness”, a term I find frustratingly vague ansjdbdj

Things I’m looking into:

The “Pi Hole”— a raspberry pi set up to block all ads on a specific internet connection

VPNs-- this is one that was recommended to me.

How to use computers (I mean it): Resources on how to understand your machine and what you’re doing, even if your skill and knowledge level is currently 0:

This section I'll come back an add to. I know that messing with computers can be intimidating, especially if you feel out of your depth. HTML and regedits and especially things like dualbooting or linux feel impossible. So I want to put things here that explain exactly how the internet and your computer functions, and how you can learn and work with that. Yippee!

[softh0neycomb]

Baker!Reader X Butcher!Simon

First little noodlings

You’re sat in your local Costa, sadly picking at an overpriced, sad sandwich and lukewarm coffee. Chains are never your first option if you can help it, but this small town doesn’t have a local cafe open past 10am.

Another sigh, you could do it so much better, you think, grimacing at a bite of soggy bread. As a baker, you know good bread and this, this is not good bread.

How difficult can it be, really, you sip from your cup; musing.

You could do it, you think, you already have a steady business as an online bakery and a presence at the closest local markets, known for your delicate bakes with pretty decorations.

The savoury side of things though…you know what’d you’d do, sandwiches with homemade focaccia, doorstep thick toast, savoury pastries.

It’d have to be right though. The voice pops up unbidden and you bite your lip, your need for perfection is both a blessing and a curse.

You abandon the remnants of your sandwich and head home thoughts churning.

In your kitchen, you create a focaccia, flaky salt, the good olive oil, rosemary and cherry tomatoes.

Once it’s cooked you realise you don’t have the right meats and you drag yourself to the store, you stand in front of the deli meats aisle for longer than you want to admit, until your fingers start to get a little numb and you take home a selection and painstakingly try a little of everything with the bread and nothings right, nothing works.

You hiss in frustration before cutting a large chunk and wrapping it in wax paper and grabbing your keys.

You know you must look like a crazy person, stomping into the butchers and dropping the bread on the counter in front of the mountain of a man who works there, bottom half of his face covered by a black mask.

“I need help” you say shortly “I’ve tried the supermarket meats and it’s not right.”

He stares at you, shocked, confused, you can’t tell.

“Look you’re an expert right?” A slow nod. “Good. I’m fed up of having no good cafes so I’m gonna do it myself but I’m a novice at savoury, so taste that.”

You wave a hand irritably at the wax-paper wrapped focaccia “and please tell me what meat is supposed to go in it.”

There’s a beat, two, before callused hands are unwrapping the bread and tearing a chunk off, corner of the mask lifting to accommodate before being lowered.

A moan. “I know” you say, slightly smug “so I’m not putting it with mediocre fillings”

The man hums, swallowing, before turning to a leg of something along the back counter and cutting a thin slice, dropping it onto a paper plate before handing it to you.

“Try that” he rasps, you take the plate and try the meat, it’s salty, slightly smoky and so much better than whatever you brought from the supermarket and combinations throw themselves into your head.

You’re unaware of the butcher staring at you.

“How much will I need to make at least….four sandwiches?” You half ask, half demand.

“Bout 15 slices” he replies after a moments thought.

“Great, that then please” you say sweetly, “and you can keep the rest of the bread.” you add on when you’ve paid and have the wrapped meat in your hand before almost running out of the shop to get home.

Simon stares for a long time, before devouring the rest of the bread.

[bigboigorgeous]

I'm becoming that person

You know the kind. The ones that casually start a tumblr just to like and reblog stuff about gaining. Yeah, I like the belly I've noticed on myself too - but I'm not like these obvious feedees. I have self control. I know how to say no to an extra snack. To stop eating after 8pm. My clothes are tight right now - if I let myself go I'm going to need to buy the next size up in both shirt and pants. So yeah. I got this under control. I have to.

I'm becoming that person. Yeah, I just ate dinner, but I need my dessert right away. A cookie now. Some gummies later. Then a cup of cereal. And 3-4 scoops of peanut butter just before bed. Look, the gaining thing is hot. I've been having fun just feeling good about my fat. Feeling turned on by my fat. Besides, winter is coming. I joke to people that it's 'fat boy fall'. We all gotta store up, right?

I'm becoming that person.

I can't get off unless I'm envisioning myself getting fatter. Sometimes it's a montage over the next year, imagining my soft body through various stages. Various pants sizes. Popped buttons. God, I want to burst out of my clothes with fat. Other times, I imagine a magic force making me gain all at once. I think of overflowing my clothing. When I bend over these days, my love handle stick out. Sometimes I stand up and my shirt goes with me, exposing a sliver of my widening belly. But I can't let it get that far. I buy a funnel from the store down the street. Just for the thrill. I'm not going to use it.

I'm becoming a fat person.

I stare at myself in the mirror and tell myself I don't look that big. I still fit in the same shirts I did a year ago. Well... "fit". They are tighter. The waistband of my jeans rolls over on itself, straining to keep in my widening girth. Girth. People would use that word when thinking about me. I stare at the XL undershirts and size 42 jeans in my online shopping cart. I close out the window. That can't be me. I can't let that be me. Besides... I like how tight my current jeans feel. When I burst the button, then I'll have earned those new jeans.

I am a fat person.

A breakfast bar (200 calories) and a cinnamon roll (400 calories) for breakfast. Pizza (800~ calories) for lunch. Burger and fries (1200 calories) for dinner. Then a constant graze of deserts that I don't keep track of. 2-4 spoonfuls of peanut butter? Wait how many did I have? I was just eating it without thinking. My shirt slides up over my belly as lie down in bed and cum myself to sleep.

[bbokicidal]

"Where Did I..." | Corruptive!SKZ [H.H.]

If you've read any of my other works (on my previous account) you would know that I have a knack for (and often write) corruption kink!skz lol. So this delved into that a little, because the theme of 'dumb bimbo gf' tends to go along w/ that. if you want it rewritten more specifically, lmk. ALSO - i labeled the title as a 'bimbo gf' because just saying 'dumb gf' feels a little rude i dunno lol.

warnings : NSFW CONTENT (MDNI), corruption kink! hyunjin during the NSFW headcanons, MEANDOM!Hyun, and I'm talking fucking mean. Like calling you dumb to your face mean.

Hyunjin w/ A Bimbo!GF

BF!Hyunjin who cherishes you so so much and absolutely will help you with anything you need or ask him for. He'll do your laundry if you aren't sure which button to push, will cut up veggies for soup if you don't know how to, will hand you your phone even when it's right in your back pocket.

BF!Hyunjin who thinks that it's sooooo fucking cute every time you forget something. He'll tip his head and let his hair fall in his face as he watches you fumble with your phone, forgetting how to turn on Do Not Disturb.

BF!Hyunjin who adores the way you get pouty when you forget where you put your favorite dress. He'll watch you get mumbly and all cute about it before offering to just buy you a new one - find one online and he'll go to the store to get it just for you.

BF!Hyunjin who thinks it's SO fucking cute when you walk in a room and pause, eyes glossy and lips popped apart because you can't remember why you walked in there in the first place. He'll stare with a giggly smile as you walk out, then back in, and eventually sit down with a pout as you try to remember.

BF!Hyunjin who ties your shoes for you after watching you knot your laces two different times. He'll just straight up tie them - he won't teach you how to because he thinks it's just so cute watching you forget and fumble. He wants to tie your shoes for you forever.

BF!Hyunjin who has to do the grocery shopping because you can never remember where a single thing is in the store, even if the aisles are labeled. You just go along as his pretty little arm candy.

BF!Hyunjin who doesn't let you carry cash because you count twenties like they're tens and he's not going to let you embarrass yourself in some fancy store - Just take his Black card.

Corruptive!BF!Hyunjin who thinks your 'stupidity' adds to your sexiness in bed. He is obsessed with the way you so willingly submit yourself to him because you don't know any different and you're just too dumb to figure out how to top him.

Corruptive!BF!Hyunjin who presses his thumb into your lower lip to pry your mouth open, murmuring about how cute you are on your knees and how you should just stay his pretty dumb bitch forever.

Corruptive!BF!Hyunjin who hums out shit like, "Open your mouth for me. Just like that. Now sit pretty and let me fuck your throat since you can't suck me off right." And, "You're just my dumb little whore, huh? Don't know any different; Useless unless you're acting as my personal cocksleeve."

Corruptive!BF!Hyunjin who tells you he's so happy you're his girlfriend - and how he knows you'd never cheat on him because you're too dumb to go out and find anyone else.

Corruptive!BF!Hyunjin who pumps you full of his cum and then blatantly lies to you, telling you there's no chance you'll get pregnant because of some dumb reason he makes up in his head. He takes EVERY precaution afterwards to clean you up however and make sure you actually won't get pregnant, but he's going to let you believe that his cum can't get you pregnant so he can keep filling you up.

Corruptive!BF!Hyunjin who tells you it's totally normal for guys to share their girls with his friends just so he can have threesomes with you and the others - He knows for a fact Changbin, Minho, and Seungmin love how dumb you are, too. And you just look so pretty all confused and whimpery with their cocks stuffing all your holes.

Corruptive!BF!Hyunjin who makes the effort afterwards during aftercare to assure you that he absolutely does love you, and that he doesn't really mean all of those harsh words he said to you during sex. He adores you the way you are and outside of the bedroom he really wants you to know that his love runs so deeply for you. He'll curl up from behind and wrap an arm over your waist after cleaning up, press kisses to your shoulder and hold you as tight as possible as he whispers about how one day he'll marry you and keep you safe from the word. And those mean cashiers who can count right.

[ticifics]

Hii !! , I hope you had a good day but can you please make a one shot or an headcanon about Dave Lizewski x popular!reader

The Biggest Cliché

Dave Lizewski x reader

Summary: how would Dave act dating the popular girl

Warnings: none

A/N: anon, hope you like it <3333

• Dave always showed up with little surprises, like a comic he thought you’d like, your favorite candy, or even a personalized playlist with songs that reminded him of both of you.

• Dave couldn’t shake the feeling that, at any moment, you’d realize he was just an average nerd and could trade him for someone more “worthy” of you. You always laughed it off, cupping his face with both hands and telling him he was perfect just the way he was.

• He made it a point to memorize your preferences, from the flavor of milkshake you liked best to the show that made you cry. Dave might be awkward, but he was incredibly observant when it came to you.

• Even though he blushed in embarrassment over the photos and captions you posted online, Dave started playing along. He’d send spontaneous selfies (usually awkward ones) just for you to post with the caption “The cutest nerd in the world 🥰.”

• Whenever you dressed up for an event or even just for a casual look, Dave always had the same reaction: wide eyes and an open mouth, followed by a “You look amazing!” He didn’t fake it at all — he was genuinely in awe of you.

• Even being the comic book and video game guy, Dave made sure to dive into the world you loved. If you were into fashion, he’d research designers and learn how to differentiate fabrics. If you liked pop music, he’d add your favorite bands to his playlist and even sing along (off-key).

• Whether it was a school performance, a competition, or any event you were part of, Dave was always in the front row. He cheered so loudly that you couldn’t help but laugh, but you knew he just wanted to support you.

• When you were stressed, Dave always tried to help, even if it was with cheesy lines he’d picked up from movies. Sometimes he’d make jokes to get a smile out of you, and when it worked, he felt like the king of the world.

• Even though he never said it out loud, Dave sometimes caught himself daydreaming about a future with you. He’d think about trips, the apartment you two could share someday, or even the dog you’d adopt together.

• Even though he was the guy who loved nerdy films, Dave made an effort to blend the worlds. He’d take you to nerdy events and say, “With you here, I’m officially the coolest guy in the place.”

• “Did you know you have the most beautiful smile in the world? I’m not joking, it’s like scientifically proven.” He’d drop lines like this out of nowhere, leaving you blushing and enchanted at the same time.

• On a shopping date, he saw a guy who seemed like the “typical popular guy” flirting with you while you worked behind a counter. Dave couldn’t help but feel a little... out of place. Later, when you were alone, he admitted, a bit embarrassed: “You could have anyone, and I... I’m just me.” Your response was to kiss him deeply, murmuring between kisses: “I only want you, Dave. Always you.”

• He’d always try to convince you to watch or read something he loved. If you agreed, he’d get overly excited, explaining everything in minute detail. And when you fell in love with a show or comic he recommended, he’d boast: “I knew you’d like it. I know you better than you know yourself.”

• Dave had a side only you knew. When he felt insecure or needed a little more attention, he’d take the initiative to kiss you more passionately, pulling you close by the waist and leaving you breathless.

• On tough days, Dave didn’t always know what to say, but he was the best at just listening. He’d hold your hand or hug you while you vented, murmuring “It’s going to be okay” while softly stroking your hair.

• When you’d take him to parties or events with your friends, Dave sometimes felt a bit out of place, but he couldn’t stop smiling. Just being by your side made him feel like he was, by far, the luckiest guy in the world.

• Dave loved it when you borrowed one of his t-shirts, especially the ones with movies or comics on them. Every time he saw you wearing one, he’d smile, completely torn between wanting to just admire you or rip the shirt off your body and love you until you were nothing but a tangled mess of sweet moans.

• Dave made it a point to remind you how much he loved you. From stolen kisses to text messages saying things like, “You know you’re the best part of my day, right?”

[koolades-world]

I was just wondering if you could write for the demon brothers (and undateables if you want) to MC coming back after leaving Devildom for a year (or any long period of time), and they are unrecognizable to the brothers (and/or undateables). Like they had a glow up and came back looking different to where they are unrecognizable <33

I love reading your work it makes my day. Everyday after work I come home and read your posts, really lightens my mood 🫶🏼

hi!! of course!

I'm so happy to hear that you like my work!!! makes all my writing worth it, hope you enjoy this one especially!

Mc who had a glow up!

Lucifer

looks a little surprised at first

however, he continues as if everything was normal

later, he lets you know he likes your new look subtly

never directly addresses it, but you notices his eyes linger on you until he notices you're looking at him

Mammon

tries to pretend like nothing has changed but you can see the gears turning in his head

it's funny to watch him struggle to be cool about it

if you mention it, he freezes and begin to protest as he begins to turn bright red

once he snaps out of it, he begins trying to walk away but probably runs into a wall

Levi

not even trying to hide how shocked he is

unusually confident and he lets you know he likes your new look

he admits for a second, he didn't recognize you

however, he's just happy to have his Henry back and asks when you have time to play games with him in person, instead of online

Satan

pretends like he doesn't know you at first to mess with you

"and who's this gorgeous human standing in the living room?" "SATAN"

you're still the same Mc under the new look, so he's relieved to finally have some one around who actually took the time to try and understand him

takes you out to one of his big gatherings to keep you all to himself and make everyone jelous

Asmo

immediately asks every questions that pops into his head, such as your new skin care routine and if he can do it too

if you haven't done much, he's convinced you're hiding some life changing secret from him but lets it go

posts about your return on Devilgram which causes you to get a new surge of followers

expect a shopping spree and a fun photoshoot afterwards

Beel

for a second, he actually didn't recognize you

but, as soon as he felt the pact flare up, he was happy to be reunited

another brother who doesn't really care since you're the same to him

wants to celebrate with a dinner, just like last time you were in the Devildom

Belphie

teases you a little about small things

however, lets you know he actually likes the way you look now

as long as you can still nap together, he's happy

expect lots of kisses, not because he likes the new you better, btu because he's happy to have you back

[rebel-luvz-gutz]

|MY TAKE ON THA ERIC SURVEY :3|

Full name: Rebel Faust

Nicknames: Reb, rev

Birthplace: dw Abt allat

Birthday: 2/14/2010

Where Do You Live Now?: my house

Parent(s): Mr. & Ms. Faust

Sibling(s): 2

Looks: 5'6" 127, pretty slim-ish build, sum acne

Favorite Animal(s): Dogs, cats, doe, n bunnies

Favorite TV Show(s): Hannibal, hello kitty and friends

Favorite Kind(s) Of Music: industrial, cybergoth, EDM, jump style, rock, metal

Favorite Movie(s): duck! The carbine high massacre, zero day, elephant, Texas chainsaw massacre, the hills have eyes, the infamous bondage murders, American psycho n sum otherz i don't remember

School: sum silli skool near my house

Future School: none

Future Job: none atm

Boyfriend/Girlfriend: I hav a bf <3 (poly)

Best Buds: my very silli friendgroup of like 13 ppl

Favorite Candy: I don't like candy

Hobbies: doomscrolling through Tumblr, drawing, listening to music, watching edits of Eric n Dylan, texting my friends, playing doom on my laptop, n planning my silli outfits

Things You Collect: glass shards, pop tabs, beer bottle tabs,stickers, columbine refs, shiny stuff

Do You Have A Personal Phone Line: hell yeah

Favorite Body Part Of The Opposite Sex?: hands

Any Tattoos And Where Of What?: Not yet

Piercing(s) And Where?: I have a septum piercing

What Do You Sleep in?: my kmfdm t-shirt n boxers

Do you like Chain Letters: hell no

Best Advice: who cares if u think u look cringey, I guarantee no one cares cuz I've seen ppl who look horrendous in public n no one says shit

Favorite Quotes: "fucker should be shot." "I regret nothing." "MSI makes you wicked gay!!" "C'mon don't break your teeth, baby.."

Non-sport Activity You Enjoy: being cringey and ironic on the interweb, researching stuff I like for hours on end

Dream Car: hummer or a dodge Challenger hellcat SRT in black

Favorite Thing To Do In Spring: stay inside cuz it's too fuckin humid and I'm not rlly allowed to go out

What’s Your Bedtime: whenever

Where Do You Shop?: shein, AliExpress, Amazon, very rarely hot topic and jus mostly online

Coke or Pepsi: Coke

Favorite Thing(s) To Wear?: cargo pants, band tshirts, combat boots, mostly black clothes

Favorite Subject(s) In School?: Biology

Favorite Color(s): black and crimson

Favorite People To Talk To Online: my friends n mutuals

Root-Beer or Dr. Pepper? Dr pepper

Do You Shave? whenever I feel like it

Favorite Vacation Spot(s): woods

Favorite Family Member(s): older brother

Did You Eat Paint Chips When You Were a Kid? No

Favorite CD you own: I don't have any atm

The ONE Person Who You Hate The Most: my ex

Favorite Food(s): I don't have any favs, I don't like food

Who Is The Hottest Guy or Girl In The World?: joey smack and William hellfire

What Is Your Favorite Salad Dressing?: ranch

When You Die, Do You Wanna Be Buried or Burned Into Ashes? Burned

Do You Believe In Aliens?: hell yeah

If You Had The Chance To Professionally Do Something, What would You Do?: exist

Things You Obsess Over: columbine, my boyfriend, postal, my husbands (joey smack And William hellfire)

Favorite Day of the Week: friday

A Teacher You Hate: my German teacher

Favorite Disney Movie: none

What Is Your Favorite Season? Late fall

What Toppings Do You Like On Your Pizza? peperoni

Do You Like Your School Food Itself (As In The District Food): hell no

If You Could Live Anywhere, Where Would You Live? Stockholm Sweden

Favorite Thing(s) To Do On Weekends: occasionally drink and play postal aswell as research columbine stuff

Favorite Thing(s) To Get Clean up: wha?

Favorite Magazine(s): gun magazines

Favorite Flower(s): lily of the valley, roses and orchids

Favorite Number(s): 666, 1999, and 3

Favorite Ice Cream flavor(s): cookie dough, coffee, and mint

What Kind of Guys/Girls Are You Attracted to?: possessive, loving, nerdy guys that don't judge me or try to change me

What’s Your Most Embarrassing Moment? Reporting to my schools admin when I got sa'd

If You Could Change One Thing About Yourself What Would It be? My height

Do You Eat Breakfast First Then Brush Your Teeth or Brush first then eat breakfast: i eat breakfast and then i brush my teeth

Favorite Time of Day: 12am

Can A Guy and Girl Be Just “Best Friends?”: ofc

Do You Ask The Girl / Guy Out Or Do You Wait For Them To Come To You?: depends on the person but usually I wait

Do You Mind Paying For Sex? Lil too young for that yet but not rlly ig?

What’s The Most Important thing In Someone’s Personality: honesty

Do you have a pager or cell phone? Yep

Favorite Sport: none

What Was the Best Gift You Ever Received? The plushie my bf gave me and a note he gave me

How Long Did This Letter Take You To Finish?: like 30 mins to copy, paste and answer

What Did You Listen To While Completing It?: a cybergoth playlist

Are you or would you like to be married in the near future (next 5 years)?: nope

Don’t u just hate how psychics never win the lottery? Jus rob somewhere atp

[yeollie-plz]

Rom-Com

Charles Leclerc x GN! Reader

Synopsis: You just wanted to buy some merch, you didn’t realize you’d return with a man too.

Genre: fluff, angst

Warnings: kissing, tbh I don’t think anything else it’s too fluffy

Gif credits to owners!

A/N: So this literally came to me in a dream and I just had to write it! Ik the concept is a bit shaky but tbh I didn’t get much detail from dream me so!

Arriving in Las Vegas, you were over the moon to see the GP that was being held there this weekend. It was your first time ever getting to go to one in person and to say you were excited would be an understatement.

When your friend first suggested the idea, you never thought you’d be able to swing it. But, here you were landing in Sin City!

Then your friend suggested to go to the secret pop-up shop that she had saw online. It seemed just a bit sus but hey you wanted some exclusive merch. So you agreed.

The shop was cute, they had merch you had never seen before! As you looked through the various items, you couldn’t help but notice a crowd drawing towards a certain corner of the shop.

The shop was small, only letting a few people in at a time, so for them all to be so close together. Something had to be going on.

Curiosity got the best of you as you let your body ease towards the crowd. Whispers getting louder as you got closer. Hearing words of ‘a driver being here’.

You rose to your tippy toes, trying to get a glimpse of anything. As your neck craned you saw a head of brown hair, right as a camera flashed. You lost your balance, letting yourself recenter when you landed on the ground. Was there really a driver here?

As you moved around the outer ring of the circle, you tried to get any view that you could. Long since losing your friend, you decided you might as well just push forward. As nicely as you could, you wiggled your way through the crowd trying to decipher all the commotion.

That’s when you saw him. In all his glory. Charles Leclerc.

It couldn’t be! The Charles Leclerc was in a random pop-up shop, down a random alley in Las Vegas? It was like something from a meet-cute in a romantic comedy. No! It was like an event from a fanfiction!

And just like how the fanfiction would play out, you waited for your turn to acknowledge the boy and when he finally locked eyes with you, sparks. You stumbled over your words a bit, trying to find the right way to extend your appreciation for him.

He laughed lightly as you tried to find your words. He gestured to the couch that lined the wall, willing you to sit and as you did the camera flash went off again. It seemed to snap you into reality, remembering that this was just a PR thing. Some fan service that he was doing.

You let the pictures be taken, smiling as brightly as you could with your nerves the way they were. That’s when on his own accord, Charles closed the distance between the two of you on the couch and threw his arm over your shoulder.

Your smile instantly dropped, a look of shock replaced it. The last camera flash went off, leaving white lights in your eyes.

The arm that was around your shoulders helped to gesture you to stand. You stood and whispered a thank you before scurrying off.

As you meandered around the store, trying to find your friend, you found yourself glancing back to the area Charles was at. Each time his eyes met yours, something flashing behind them. It was almost inviting.

You turned a corner finally finding your friend. As you scolded her for wandering off without you, a voice sounded behind you.

“So what do you think, do you think if I wrapped this enough it would make it home in one piece?”

You turned to see Charles standing there holding up a snow globe. His head was tilted in question, a smirk playing on his lips.

“I-um I think with enough it would be fine, sure.” You confirmed.

“What did you pick out?” He gestured to the shirt you were clutching, you hadn’t realized how firmly until he pointed it out. Walking closer to you he grabbed the shirt from your now limp hands and held it up, considering it.

“Nice choice. Although you should’ve went with Ferrari red. It would look good on you.” He said with a smile, slipping the shirt back in your hands and leaving you two alone without a word.

“First of all, was that Charles Leclerc? Second of all, was Charles Leclerc just flirting with you?” Your friend asked in shock. She grabbed your shoulders as if shaking you would loosen some answers from you.

“Yes it was and no he wasn’t.” Brushing her hands off you as you spoke.

“Then what’s this?” She grabs a piece of paper that had somehow made it into your hands, bunched with the shirt. “His number!” She confirms after looking at it.

She holds it out for you to see before whisking it away and running through the store. You chase closely after her. Not only are you trying to catch her, but the number of the super hot F1 driver.

Finally you do and you snatch the number from her death grip. Glancing down you see it truly is Charles Leclerc’s number. Your eyes go wide.

“So are you going to text him?” She asks, hand on her hip.

“Is that even a question?”

It’s almost three months later when you see Charles Leclerc again. The two of you have been texting almost nonstop in that time. You could feel yourself slowly falling for him. You just hoped he felt the same way.

When he said was coming to visit New York and would like to see you, you were overjoyed. Somehow that made you even happier than when you had gone to your first GP.

Charles made you feel like a teenager again. A teenager with a huge crush on a cute boy, that is. But you were grateful for that, it felt good to feel this way.

Now to just get him to say it back.

That entire weekend, you were on a mission to get a love confession. You had pulled out all the stops. Booking museum tickets. Walking Central Park. You even got the two of you tickets to ice skate and you were terrible at ice skating!

You were writing a script to your own romance. First the meet cute, now the fun montage set to an upbeat hit. All that was left was the grand gesture.

And that’s where you were stuck. Usually there was a conflict in the movie that would call for that grand gesture. But you and Charles got along too well, you didn’t see any intense relationship ending arguments happening any time soon.

That was until someone finally took a picture of you and Charles out one day. Honestly, you were surprised it took that long. It wasn’t like you minded it had leaked, you were just friends hanging out, technically. Charles’s PR team on the other hand, had a big problem with it.

Ten minutes he had been in the other room, whispering yelling into his phone. Suddenly he yelled something like a goodbye and rushed out the door of his bedroom and into the living space of the huge hotel suite he had booked.

He sighed, “Sorry, they are just so dramatic about everything. One picture and they say it’s the end of my career. I drive for a living! I’m not a puppet!”

“Would it really be that bad if you were with someone?” ‘With me’ is what you wanted to say but you didn’t have the heart to.

“They think it would be. But I don’t see why it would matter if I dated anyone, I’ve done it in the past.” He sighs again, running his hand through his hair.

“Is it because I’m a nobody? They want some big star to boost your name?” You looked down at your hands.

“It has nothing to do with you! They just think anybody is an issue! I told them we are friends! I just-maybe you should go home. I’ll call a car. I’m sorry.”

With that, you leave. Not sure what to say.

The day of his flight home comes and Charles has not come to see you since that day you left his hotel. You hadn’t reached out to him and he hadn’t reached out to you.

There was no reason to feel sad about him saying you were friends, you knew that’s all you were and any silly little feelings you had couldn’t change that.

A knock sounds at your door. You glance through the peephole, seeing Charles standing there. Your brows furrow in confusion as you open the door for him.

“What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be on a plane?”

He seems out of breath as he answers, “I couldn’t leave, not without saying what I need to say.”

“Okay, go on.” You urge sweetly.

“So I know I said we were friends but you and I both know we are more than that. I mean hell the first time I saw you I think I fell in love. Then I played this game with myself. I thought you would never love me back and I was a fool for even trying. Then you seemed to reciprocate my flirting and I was elated. For the first time I felt whole. But I think I got scared when the pictures leaked.” He paused like he was contemplating what to say next.

You reached your hand to his cheek, rubbing slowly. He leaned into the motion, seemingly giving him his confidence back.

“I got scared that you wouldn’t want a life in the spotlight and I could never give you that normal romance that you deserved.” Another pause.

“When I asked you about your favorite movie, you couldn’t give me just one. You gave me a genre, I went home and watched every available rom-com I could find just to understand you. You don’t need textbook perfect, you just need perfect for you. You need your rom-com.”

A smile creeps into your lips as he searches your eyes. You grab the front of his shirt, pulling him into you. Passionately, you kiss him, silently giving him your answer.

He laughs as he pulls away, breathless, “I guess you could call this the grand gesture.”

Your heart skips a beat.

“I guess you could.”

[starredblood]

NOWHERE GIRL

CHAPTER SIX

kang sae-byeok x fem!reader

synopsis: you confront your classmate, determined to make her ex leave you alone.

wc. 1.7k

warnings: none

(nowhere girl masterlist)

When you got kicked out of your house you only had time to bring a few sets of clothes, your toothbrush, and your school supplies. While you were getting ready this morning, you had to watch a video tutorial online on how to tie your hair up with a pencil not minding the tall short haired girl who was eating breakfast just a few feet away in their tight knit apartment.

It was easy not to talk to Sae-byeok. She was like smoke, easy to spot but can’t grasp as it’s already dissolving away. She left ten minutes earlier than you did without a single uttering to you. You try not to think about it too much because you will be gone soon.

“Noona.” you hear a voice behind you peep while you were done tying your hair back. Cheol pops up from his room, handing you his tie timidly. “I accidentally loosened my tie. Could you tie it for me again?”

You walk over to Cheol and kneel on the hardwood floor to help adjust his uniform tie.

“Did someone hurt you?” he asks, pointing at your cheek.

“No, never. I just tripped.” you lie. You feel the weight of his stare on your bruised up cheek. “Do you always go to school by yourself?” you say to advert the topic.

“Yes. Sometimes my sister takes me if she doesn’t go to work early but she usually does.” he explains, rubbing his tired little eyes with his fist. “Ji-yeong noona isn’t a morning person so I’m scared to ask her.”

“Done. You look nice.” you ruffle the top of his head and stand up. “I would be scared to wake up Ji-yeong too by the way.”

A fatigue little giggle escapes Cheol’s mouth.

“Have a good day at school, Cheol.” you say and walk over to the door to slip on your sneakers only to look over at Cheol who pokes his head out his room once more.

“Are you staying with us forever, Noona?” he asks. The confused expression you gave him startled him. “I want you to!”

“No, I know what you meant to say it’s just—“ you scratch the top of your head. You don’t think it’ll be appropriate to say that tomorrow morning you’ll be long gone to a sensitive boy like Cheol. “I don’t know actually. Maybe one day I’ll have to leave but we’ll still be friends, okay?”

“Seriously?”

“Absolutely. Maybe in the summer you can come visit me at the art gallery I work at.”

“That’ll be cool.” he says quietly. “Bye, Noona.”

You wave him goodbye and exit the apartment.

The bus ride to your campus is serene on this cloudy spring morning and you wonder when this moment of calm will end. Maybe it’ll end when you get to your first class of the day where you will confront Yoon about her ex-boyfriend’s attempted assault on you yesterday.

✿・・───・・✦・・───・・✿

One thing Sae-byeok had to get used to was having a routine. Before working at the bakery, her days of pickpocketing were irregular and her income would be inconsistent. It was strange at first and she wasn’t the best on arriving to work on time at first, but by some miracle Miss Ahn never complained about her tardiness. Sae-byeok is almost certain Ji-yeong told her about her past so Miss Ahn could take it easy on her.

Her first month working at the bakery she didn’t think she would last. She was told to memorize kneading techniques, how to spot expired flour, and go grocery shopping in the middle of a rush because they ran out of eggs. It was all too foreign. But now she can barely remember her life without this job. However, today her mind is back to the days she used to be Jang Deok-su’s little apprentice. Everyday was violence, theft, drugs, and more violence. Sae-byeok can’t believe she survived it all.

For her midday break, Sae-byeok stepped outside to the back alley of the bakery and leaned her back against the wall to ponder some more.

“Hey, Kang!” Ahn Yong-sun, Miss Ahn’s eldest grandson, calls out to her from the back door. She slowly turns her head to look at him. “Where the fuck did you put Kim Yeoreum’s cake order? I can’t fucking find it anywhere!”

“On the top shelf! Asshole.” she mutters the last word underneath her breath.

“Just because you’re two inches taller than me doesn’t mean we can all fucking reach the top shelf!”

“Yong-sun, watch your mouth child!” Miss Ahn hisses as she arrived back from her grocery errands. She fans her grandson with her hands in a shooing motion. He mumbles an apology and cowers back inside but not before throwing Sae-byeok a glare. “Don’t let that brat get into your head, dear. He’s become so spoiled—of course he has, he was raised by my own spoiled son!”

Sae-byeok reaches over to grab her bag of groceries.

“Ah, look at you always being so attentive with me.” Miss Ahn coos. “I’m telling you if I fell down the stairs my grandson wouldn’t even bat an eye.”

They enter the kitchen and the aroma of fresh bread hits their nostrils. As Sae-byeok reaches over to shut the door for some odd reason the smell makes her think of you and the croissant you offered her last night. While she unloads the bag of groceries she keeps thinking of you and the last thing you told her last night.

Sae-byeok turns to peer down at the elder lady beside her jotting down another list of groceries. “Miss.” she says out of the blue.

“Yes, dear?”

“Is the apartment above the bakery still vacant?”

Miss Ahn’s looks up past her reading glasses and raises a brow. “Why? Did you and Cheol get booted off?”

“No, it’s for a friend.”

“Ah.” she hums and continues to write her list again. “I’m in the process of having a couple of people visit the space. However, it’ll make my life easier if you got your friend to come first—just make sure she doesn’t ask too many questions. You young kids love doing that.”

“Okay. Can she come tomorrow?”

Sae-byeok could sense that the older lady is skeptical. But she remains stone faced and calm hoping that she won’t raise further questions. It’s bad enough she’s doing this for your sake.

“I don’t see why not. Tomorrow afternoon.” she pats her on the shoulder. “Now, can you help me finish icing this cake for me? The customer will arrive later today.”

Sae-byeok walks around the other side of the island counter and sneakily pulls out her phone to send Ji-yeong a message.

✿・・───・・✦・・───・・✿

You drop your belongings at your usual spot, next to the large window panes in the studio and march over to Yoon who was currently chatting with a friend. Without noticing, your jaw clenches seeing how content Yoon looks giggling with her friend while your mind is in torment over the chaos that ensued yesterday.

When she sees your rigid figure march up to her she hushedly says something to her friend that made her go silent. She avoids your eye contact the closer you approach them.

“Can I talk to you in private?” you ask her, irritated.

Yoon stiffly nods while still avoiding your intense eye contact and follows you out the classroom. When you reach the end of the hall you cross your arms and narrow your eyes at her.

“So—“

“I’m really sorry.” Yoon interrupts quickly with guilt written all over her face. “I didn’t think Yen-ho would…”

“Try to beat me up?” you scoff.

“I was just confused about this whole situation an—“

“Situation? This isn’t a situation, Yoon this is my life! I get it if you don’t want to be around me anymore. It fucking sucks that I know what you will decide but to go around and tell people…” you choke back tears. “it’s just making my life harder than it already is.”

“Fuck. I’m so deeply sorry.”

Breathless with anger you take a couple of seconds to compose yourself before continuing. “Whatever, Yoon. Could you just tell me if he’ll be here today so I know when to leave?”

“He doesn’t go to school here he just likes to wander.” she mutters. “But I’ll text him—tell him to back off.”

Before you could speak your professor appears. “Ladies, class is starting now could you head to your seats please. And can I speak to you after class about your project?” he points at you.

“Yes, I’m sorry.” you mumble, lowering you head and scurry with Yoon to the class.

“Don’t apologize.” he chuckles.

It was hard to pay attention in class when all you could do is shoot daggers at Yoon across the room. You could see the anxiousness in her behavior, how she would pick up and put down her phone, and only reply to her friends in short sentences.

At one point you heard the professor cough in your direction leaving you no choice but to try and concertante on the piece you are working on. But by the time class was finished, you barely finished what you started with.

You wait until everyone leaves before dragging your feet up to the professors desk.

He greets you by your name and folds his hands, thinking deeply. “So, you’re the only one that hasn’t shown me their piece. Could you show me and explain to me what your piece is about?”

“It’s a textile piece that will, um, resemble a fashion designers sketchbook. I’m using textile, watercolor, fashion magazines, and my own sketch designs for this piece…” you quietly explain as you show him the piece, frowning at the disapproval on his face.

“That sounds…marvelous.” he says to your surprise. “I like the use of watercolor to depict paper fading yellow.”

“Thank you, professor.” you bow.

“Is there a story behind this?”

“I’m still trying to get around it.”

“Okay.” he hums. “Recently, I’ve noticed your lack of concentration in my class however. I stated from the start that students that consistently keep lacking won’t succeed in my class. This is the first big project and you will have two bigger ones these next upcoming weeks. I don’t want you to fall behind already—especially since I can already conclude that you’ll be one of the runner ups in the Hangaram prize.”

Your heart begins to swell. This is the first good news in a while you aren’t sure how to react. So you just stare at your professor with wide eyes and a gaped mouth.

“So please, focus on this project and I am excited to see the end results next class.”

“Of course, thank you professor!”

You walk out of class in high spirits only to be crushed with the realization in knowing that a potential group of loiterers are waiting for you outside these walls.

🏷️: @monroesturnns @knfthxv @jumpedthenfell-13 @peelover25 @karli6 @kissedberries @bitchybananaflower @laurenkenss

[roseyrays]

✰ a valentine’s night; lighter lorenz x reader ✰ a small drabble

NOT PROOFREAD

2nd person pov; reader’s gender is not mentioned so anyone could read this!

reader and lighter met during chapter 4 with the proxy and became friends after that so basically this is a friends-to-lovers type of fic

warnings: might be ooc but it's a x reader fic so lol, 5/10 writing cuz I just popped this idea out of my ass but despite that

enjoy!! ♡︎ and happy valentine’s day lighter nation 🩷🩷

────୨ৎ────

February 14th, Valentine’s Day, a day filled with love and couples going on dates around New Eridu

[name] though? Their plans for the rest of the day are:

watch movies, draw, probably sleep and whatnot

just like every year.

────୨ৎ────

It was a pretty cozy evening as you settled onto youtlr bed with a facemask on, and hair tied back with a headband. Dressed in comfortable pajamas enjoying a cup of ramen while watching a movie you rented from Random Play

The movie was a cheesy romance movie that had pretty solid reviews online

“Damn, they have such poor communicate skills…”

You were about 30 minutes into the movie when the bell suddenly rang making your head turn to the door

“Who could be here on Valentine’s Day? I didn’t order anything…”

You thought as you got up and headed towards the door “Coming!!! Who could it be? Maybe it’s the proxy or something…”

“Hello-” And you never could've guessed who it was when you opened the door

“Hey-”

“LIGHTER??? What are you doing here??” You asked, pointing your finger at the tall man in front of you.

“Well hello to you too…Can I come in?” he asked, You haven't noticed it yet, but he's hiding his hand behind his back as you gesture to let him in.

“Uh..what are your doing here? Especially out in the evening…” You asked sitting down on a small chair in your apartment your eyes laid on Lighter as he sat down on your couch, his arm still behind his back

“What you hidin there?”

“Oh this?” he said, his face began to turn slightly red as he pulled his arm from behind his back, he revealed a single red rose. “It’s not much but…since today is valentine’s day I thought that maybe we could…you know..hang out..?” He anxiously bit his bottom lip, his cheeks and ears flushed with a rosy hue as he awaited your response, hoping you’d say yes

“Wait…are.. you asking me out?” You felt a warmth spreading across your cheeks as you gently pointed to yourself “Like.. A Date???”

“If that's what you want to call it, then yes, I am asking you out.” He responded this time with a charming smile on his face.

“So is that a yes or no?”

“I- um..s-sure!! I mean why not? I'm not doing anything this evening so..” You pause taking a moment to breathe “It’s a yes.” You affirm your answer with a smile.

“Also uh let me take a moment to change..” you say standing up with a nervous grin and gesturing your hands to your pajamas making Lighter chuckle

Slowly walking towards your closet you hear Lighter say “you look cute tho” making your cheeks ten times redder

“Don’t say that..”

“It’s true tho.. and here take the rose..” He gently steps closer to you, a rose in hand, his expression warm and understanding.

“Thanks..where did you-”

“I got it from a flower shop nearby as I was coming over to your place.”

────୨ৎ────

And here you are currently linking your arm around your crush’s best friend’s arm as you walk together. Your head resting on his shoulder with the rose on your left hand.

“So where are we going?” you asked slowly lifting your head up to meet his face.

He turned to look at you with that sweet smile of his “Hm I don't know..where do you wanna go? You know this place more than I do.”

Thinking “Maybe we could get some drinks then we could stop by somewhere for fresh air and a quiet chat..”

“I like the sound of that..” He says, pushing his glasses up.

“Shouldn’t you take those sunglasses off? It’s nighttime.” You ask with a slight chuckle.

“Nah..”

While walking, you both stopped by some shops, looking around and not planning to buy anything, but you still kept some money inside your bag just in case...

But you did stop by this one shop where a kind middle-aged woman makes flowers into clips, so you turned to Lighter and asked if you could turn the rose into a clip for you to wear and he nodded with a smile

“There you go, you look beautiful,” He complimented after helping you put the rose clip in your hair. His hand softly caressing your [colored] locks

You let out a gentle chuckle, feeling a warmth spread through your cheeks as you look up at him “Thanks…”

You both walk around the shops a bit longer, hand in hand, before purchasing some drinks and trying to find a quiet place to sit and chat.

After a while, you spotted an empty bench in a quiet area, so you both went directly towards it.

Sitting down you and Lighter didn't say a word to each other yet as you gazed up at the stars, the clear night sky wrapped everything in a gentle beauty, offering a moment of solace and wonder. Lighter smiled at you and then looked up at the night sky.

“The moon is beautiful tonight, isn’t it?” He spoke with assurance.

“Yeah..” You replied firmly, your gaze fixed on the sky Before you turn your attention to the man beside you, take a moment to consider his feelings. “Ah Lighter I forgot to ask..why did you come all this way just to ask me out? Is there something you wanna.. talk about” you ask slightly biting your lip

He turns again to look at you before looking down with an obvious blush on his cheeks “Actually yes..there is something I wanna ask..”

“Pftt like what? You like me or something? “ you say with laughter not knowing that is the truth

“Yes.”

As soon as those words came out of his mouth you stopped laughing and slowly turned to look at him “wait what..?”

“What?” He responded with a smile “What did you think I went all this way to your place just to ask you out?”

“Because I was lonely tonight..”

“Well I mean yeah but I came all this way just to say these words to you, I uh really like you [name] and I wanna spend the rest of my life with you so..

Will you..-“

“YES!” you shout, immediately tackling him into a hug making him yelp

────୨ৎ────

You were currently back at your place after your date with Lighter aka your now boyfriend as you lay together in bed

You asked him how he got the balls to ask you out or even confessing to you in the first place

He replied with saying that the girls helped him out and even Billy encouraged him with his confession

Caesar even offered to make an a whole ass confession full of declared love but all Lighter wants is a quiet confession, just you and him together

And it made your heart swell with joy as you hold his hand staring at each other with warm smiles

He decided to sleep at your place tonight not wanting to leave you just yet making your heart beat even faster

The night ends with you and him cuddling in bed, the stars never fading, keeping their shine as you both slept your hearts away. ♡︎

────୨ৎ────

author’s notes: okay so half way through writing I kinda lost motivation 💔 so that’s why the ending is kinda meh

But I wanted to write a lighter fic for Valentine’s Day and yesterday I forgot that it’s tomorrow so I had to quickly pull this out of my ass and start writing so yeah.. heh

I hope you enjoyed! Love you all and mwah!

[softh0neycomb]

Blood & Buttercream

Chapter One - Exposition.

Baker!Reader x Butcher!Simon Riley

CW: None, SFW.

Word Count: 1.2K

You’re sitting in your local Costa, sadly picking at an overpriced, sad sandwich and lukewarm coffee. Chains are never your first option if you can help it, but this small town doesn’t have a local cafe open past 10am.

Another sigh, you could do it so much better, you think, grimacing at a bite of soggy bread. As a baker, you know good bread and this, this is not good bread.

How difficult can it be, really, you sip from your cup; musing.

You could do it, you think, you already have a steady business as an online bakery and a presence at the closest local markets, known for your delicate bakes with pretty decorations.

The savoury side of things though…you know what’d you’d do, sandwiches with homemade focaccia, doorstep thick toast, savoury pastries.

It’d have to be right though. The voice pops up unbidden and you bite your lip, your need for perfection is both a blessing and a curse.

You abandon the remnants of your sandwich and head home thoughts churning.

In your kitchen, you create a focaccia, flaky salt, good olive oil, rosemary and cherry tomatoes.

Once it’s cooked you realise you don’t have the right meats and you drag yourself to the store, you stand in front of the deli meats aisle for longer than you want to admit, until your fingers start to get a little numb and you take home a selection and painstakingly try a little of everything with the bread and nothing's right, nothing works.

You hiss in frustration before cutting a large chunk and wrapping it in wax paper and grabbing your keys.

You know you must look like a crazy person, stomping into the butchers and dropping the bread on the counter in front of the mountain of a man who works there, the bottom half of his face covered by a black mask.

“I need help” you say shortly “I’ve tried the supermarket meats and it’s not right.”

He stares at you, shocked, confused, you can’t tell.

“Look, you're an expert right?” A slow nod. “Good. I’m fed up with having no good cafes so I’m gonna do it myself but I’m a novice at savoury, so taste that.”

You wave a hand irritably at the wax-paper wrapped focaccia “and please tell me what meat is supposed to go in it.”

There’s a beat, two, before callused hands are unwrapping the bread and tearing a chunk off, corner of the mask lifting to accommodate before being lowered.

A moan. “I know” you say, slightly smug “so I’m not putting it with mediocre fillings”

The man hums, swallowing, before turning to a leg of something along the back counter and cutting a thin slice, dropping it onto a paper plate before handing it to you.

“Try that” he rasps, you take the plate and try the meat, it’s salty, slightly smoky and so much better than whatever you brought from the supermarket and combinations throw themselves into your head.

You’re unaware of the butcher staring at you.

“How much will I need to make at least ... .four sandwiches?” You half ask, half demand.

“Bout 15 slices” he replies after a moment's thought.

“Great, that then please,” you say sweetly, “and you can keep the rest of the bread.” You add on when you’ve paid and have the wrapped meat in your hand before almost running out of the shop to get home.

Simon stares for a long time, before devouring the rest of the bread.

The next few hours are spent in your kitchen, every surface covered in pans and bowls. The meat he’s given you, you learn, is called Serrano and it’s so good. 

You’re lucky enough to have a garden and a greenhouse and you pull some rocket from the soil dropping it into a colander for later. Back in your kitchen you create a chilli jam, not too spicy with a slight acidity to balance the salt. 

A quick google suggests that manchego is a common pairing but you worry that it will make the finished sandwich too salty and you bite your lip, scouring your fridge. Burrata. You’d brought it to make your own pizzas but…you wouldn’t need all of it. 

You catalogue what you have in your head, salt from the meat and the bread, acid from the jam, fat from the cheese and heat from both the jam and the peppery kick of the rocket. 

You layer the sandwich and wrap it in greaseproof paper, pulling it tight before cutting it in half with a large bread knife. 

You smile at the cross section and take a bite. The flavours explode on your tongue and you grin, victorious. It’s so much better than the sad toastie you started your day with.

You tidy your kitchen, decanting the rest of the chilli jam into sterilised jars and carefully storing the meat and cheese before washing your paraphernalia. 

You’re about to become that poor butcher’s worst nightmare, you think ruefully as you start to compile a list of other things you’d want to stock. 

You feel so guilty in advance that you assemble a peace offering, the other half of the sandwich, a jar of your new chilli jam and a caramel brownie. Is it weird if I bother him again? You shake the thought away, you have questions and your brain needs them answered. Now. 

You pack your offering into a box and head back out, chucking a notebook and pen into your bag as you pass the countertop. 

The man behind the counter looks surprised to see you, if the slight raise of his eyebrow is any indication. 

“Alright?” He asks slowly.

“Yeah,” you chuckle slightly nervously as you introduce yourself, “I think I’m probably about to become your worst nightmare.” 

“Doubt that” he mutters, “‘m Simon.” 

You nod “Simon, it’s nice to meet you.” A smile, you brandish the box containing your peace offering. 

“I need to ask you some questions about, well, everything meat so here’s a…” you stumble over your words. “Gift? In return for the annoyance I’m probably gonna cause you.” 

The man, Simon, takes the box from you and flips open the lid, “this the sandwich you made?” He asks, fishing it out with one large hand, you nod as he unwraps the paper and takes a large bite. 

His eyes close momentarily as he chews and swallows “gonna bring me one of these every time you’ve got a question love?” 

Your brain stutters momentarily over the pet name and you feel your face get warm. 

“Um, yes?” You offer as you will your face to cool down, watching as he takes another bite and groans in appreciation. 

“Best sandwich I’ve ever had.” He tells you and you can’t help but preen at the compliment. 

“Thanks,” you whip out your notebook “so, if I wanted to make a quiche with ham in it but also sandwiches, would I need different styles?” The pen is pushed against your lip as you think “Oh and I know there’s a ratio of fat to meat for everything but if I wanted to do sausage rolls and scotch eggs would they need to be different too?” 

You realise Simon is staring at you and you shuffle your feet, ears going hot, waiting for the inevitable comments about you being ‘weird’ or ‘too much.’ 

They don’t come. 

You force yourself to meet his gaze, steeling yourself for whatever expression you find there. You don’t expect fascination, appraisal. 

“You this meticulous about ever’thin love?” It’s almost a growl and your mind wanders for a split second before you manage to eek out a “yes.” 

Simon grins, taking a large bite of the brownie “fucking hell, where’ve you been hidin?” 

[monkebearness]

More Than a Chance Encounter

Ji Suhyeon (tripleS JiYeon) x Male Reader

Tags: fluff, angst, romance

Word count: 9.2k

a/n: no smut yet, the first one really took a while to finish XD. however, a new one is in the works. for now, I hope you like this, if you are into this genre, at least.

The holiday season in one of the biggest malls in Seoul has made it crowded, as the year comes to a close in a couple of months. It still isn't as urgent and traditional like they do in America, but it's still a lot for Korea’s standards. Despite labels and posters of cheaper prices being stacked on a plethora of products, most of the supermarket is filled with the loud hum of the air conditioner as well as the movements of automaton couriers rushing in and out of the place. Nowadays, most people tend to visit to get some not so fresh nor natural, but nevertheless refreshing wind and spend time with their loved ones through various forms of recreation, entertainment, and the last reason: purchasing necessities for their families and friends. Necessities that are also known as gifts and groceries.

“How do I even use this..?” he whispers to himself, pressing all the buttons he can on the screen of the kiosk, only to end up in the same error popping up with an irritating sound that irritates even the folks behind him.

Self-checkouts at supermarkets are no longer the future because now, they’re the norm, here in the present. And yet a lot of customers are still stuck to the past, but reasonably so. Certain machines are not as simple as one would think, since these models are still new to the public, some of whom aren’t tech-savvy. This man in a suit just happens to fall into this case of generational dilemma. It’s a miracle he doesn’t even freak out yet.

“Ahjussi!” a voice roars from the end of the line. “We don’t have all night. Hurry up.”

But some would still take the advantage to shop in person during the holidays since, in most cases, it’s simply faster for people who visit after school or work. And as more and more users shop online, face-to-face customers take the advantage to buy in person just the same, especially when the couriers are taking a little longer than they want.

“Look, I’m trying to figure this thing out,” he mumbles as loud as he can. The longer he’s standing there with no solutions, the more he can feel the moisture accumulating on his scalp and realize how his fingers start to shiver under pressure. “I, um, I don’t think this thing is working. Does someone know how to fix this?”

“Maybe you broke it, old man,” another voice yells. “You should’ve just ordered online, so we didn’t have to deal with your mess!”

He can only sigh at the mockeries fired at him, but his patience remains high. Thankfully, karma finds its way to the heckler at the back, as the guard approaches and warns the pair to stop their impolite behavior. With the voice finally simmering down, the man in the suit is making some progress with the kiosk, but his ears catch footsteps getting louder and louder by the second. Clenching his fists in unease, he braces for whoever else may give him an earful.

“If I may, ahjussi…” He hears another voice from behind, now a calmer and feminine one. For some reason, his levels of anxiety begin to drop. “Let me help you with that.”

About six centimeters shorter than him, the woman’s ethereal appearance and attentive presence stuns him, prompting the man to step aside and let her deal with his problem. Despite being the very person behind him in the whole line, he didn't even notice her, since all his mind was focusing on was sorting out the kiosk by himself until he himself would have inevitably broken down due to the hecklers constantly mocking him. What surprises him is that she’s not in a uniform, yet she's able to fix his problem within half a minute, making him wonder whether or not she’s somehow from the staff.

“It’s not your fault,” she mumbles while he watches her from the side. “These kiosks are new. All you need to do is select the settings, change the method and—there! All your items are now totaled.”

He lets out a sigh of relief. “That’s really good to know. Kamsahamnida, Miss.”

She bows in response, while he hurries transferring his groceries into his shopping bag. Afterwards, the man would have gone on with his own business, but this encounter was different for him, aside from the fact that he rarely asked or received anyone’s help until the machine broke. His own machismo isn’t gonna let him be without trying to offer his assistance to the woman when she also finished her checkout a couple of minutes later. He sees her walk in his direction. “I’m sorry if I’m being a bother again, but let me help you with that too. If it’s fine with you.”

“Oh… Kamsahamnida.” Despite being taken aback by his action, she bows to him before leading the way throughout the market’s exit, where they are welcomed by the full moon in the sky. He carries three stuffed eco bags—two on the left and one on the right—while the woman carries a lighter one. She would often take a few glances at him out of concern, though he tries to reassure her with a few nods and a meager smile. A thought on her mind pushes her to help him by calling an auto-cart inside, but they’re already far from the store.

He can’t help but take a few peeks inside her bag as they stroll along the lane. While he isn’t able to see the items clearly, curiosity has already gotten the best of him. “You got a lot of stuff there. Do you mind if I ask what the occasion is? Christmas is still a couple of weeks away.”

“They’re for a family gathering.”

“Oh, mine too! I mean, it’s not unexpected, but I believe folks rarely buy stuff this early before Christmas. Let alone in person.”

“That’s true, but I’d rather not risk having delayed deliveries, considering the digital traffic… Or you know, missing some important ingredients for your recipes.”

“That’s a fair point,” he slowly nods.

“And you…” She takes a longer gaze at his eco bag. “You don’t have as much… Though it still looks heavy. Probably heavier than mine. I could’ve called an auto-cart back inside.”

“No, it’s fine,” he keeps insisting with a chuckle. “Gwenchana, seriously. I’ve carried heavier loads of paperwork than these in the past couple of years.”

“Arasseoyo, Mister Muscle,” the woman shoots back. Her raised eyebrow expresses intrigue and amusement, even if she can tell that he’s just trying to impress her to a degree, and realizing it makes her let out a chortle as they walk to the bus terminal.

He tries to continue the conversation, or at least keep babbling on from the top of his mind as they finally arrive at the lane. The only thing is—they just missed the last bus. The next ride won’t arrive for a while, unless they walk to another stop. But considering their distance to the nearest one—as well as their goods being quite a handful, neither of them seems to have the intention of doing just that.

A topic finally pops up in his mind, still driven by his curiosity about her minutes earlier. “Do you remember when those counters were still filled with cashiers? It must’ve been a kind of culture shock, finding out that we’re gonna have to check out our own groceries all by ourselves, unless we order online.” 

“Yeah, I remember it clearly,” she admits with a more or less indifferent tone. “It hasn't been that long since they finally got rid of the last batch…” But the more her words come out, he senses jadedness and discouragement in her voice, despite saying a lot. “It sucks to see them leave, but what are you gonna do?” She sighs, much to his worry, even if he doesn’t know what her problem is about. “The company’s too afraid of falling behind.”

His mind compels him to do something, hoping to cheer her or lighten up the mood. “You must’ve frequented here often to know all of that… You even know how to fix a kiosk and you’re also worried about the cashiers. Are you the manager of the store?”

She keeps herself from scoffing at his genuine amazement, and the fact that he’s still basically glazing her for her mere act of assistance. “Um, no. Not as a manager, but I used to work here… As a cashier.”

“Oh…” Fuck is the first word that darts through his brain, followed by shit and crap. Immediate guilt and regret strike through his heart, believing that he’s offended her with his words. Why didn’t I think of it before? “I didn’t mean to phrase it like that. Joesonghamnida.”

“Oh, no, no!” she waves her hands in a slight panic while he starts to bow to her. “Don’t apologize. I wasn’t offended, and I understand your point, but I still work here. It’s just not my shift tonight.”

“You’re still working here?” he wonders, confused yet just as curious about the wave of conflicting info he has learned. “But I thought the cashiers had been discharged in this supermarket since last year… That’s why I thought you’d be a manager or something.”

“Most of us were,” she nods. “But some of us were lucky enough to stay here and were reassigned to other roles. I’m just a kiosk specialist now—which is just a much fancier way of saying that I’m a technician.”

They both chuckle at her remark. “I don’t see anything wrong with that,” he considers. “I think you have more experience than some folks in corpo nowadays. I think it’s always a plus when you learn things hands-on.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” she slowly nods. “Though, I don’t believe I know more than those with desk jobs. But, I do think we have as much experience when working with people.”

“Now that you’ve brought it up, people aren’t as many here compared to back then. It’s always been more convenient to shop online in the past decade. I just really think it is a bummer that a lot of workers have to be fired because our means of living have become easier now, no thanks to those bots.”

“It’s true, but I wouldn’t entirely see everything as negative,” she retorts. “As much as you’re right, there’s new jobs out there. Ones where we can start using our brains and bodies more often. Act more like a human for once, you know?”

He sees her somber smile as they lock eyes. The smile doesn’t appear to be forced, but rather wistful. Perhaps he’s been complimenting her way too much, and it’s starting to come off as annoying. Maybe she’s going through something or has been through a lot, but that’s not in his right to know, since they’ve only met. “Based on that, I’m guessing you don’t love your job. I don’t know how else to say it, since I’m just a stranger… But I hope you hang in there.”

She tilts her head while her lips pout. “Love? Hate? Hmm… I haven’t used those words to describe my jobs. Not in a while... I just know how to adapt and get used to whatever job or gig I can get by. But now that you mentioned it, I do love gaining more and more experience, just as I hate dealing with cranky customers, like that heckler from earlier.”

“But, umm,” she adds, feeling a glimmer of sincerity with what he just said. “Thanks for saying that. As a ‘fellow stranger’ myself, I appreciate it. I hope you hang in there, too.”

Amidst the winter breeze, the woman brings out a scarf from her bag and wraps it around her neck, before rubbing her hands and blowing into it. Her gestures give him an idea, which may or may not work, but that’s the least of his worries. He still feels a sense of debt and gratitude for her after she helped him out earlier—no matter how trivial it is. Perhaps due to the fact that she just happens to be beautiful and polite, maybe there is something else that he’s feeling, but he brushes it off. He doesn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable more than the frightening possibility that she already is, being with him.

“Hey, uhh… I think the next bus won’t be here for a while,” he brings up. “Would you mind if we grab a cup of coffee or tea first? Anything you’d like, really. It’s my treat.”

The woman is touched by his sudden suggestion, yet her lingering sense of pride is making her feel hesitant to accept it. “Oh, that's too much. You don’t have to…”

“It’s the least I can do, since you helped me out at the counter,” he avows. “I would’ve given you my stamp coupon from a café I often visit, but I’ve used all of it. That is… If you’re not in the rush right now. I’m just suggesting, cause it’s getting colder out here and we might need a place to warm up for a bit.”

She laughs at his honest statement, not caring whether he’s joking or telling the truth. His somewhat awkward yet honest deliveries have fascinated her for a while now. If it was like any other stranger, she would’ve left or ticked them off moments ago, but she doesn't feel too tense around him. It's in a way, refreshing. Besides, it is up to her if she will regret meeting him at a later time or not. She’s a grown woman, and if he even does anything funny, there are people everywhere. For now, she doesn’t feel like she wants to ditch him. At least, he has yet to give her a fair reason. “It’s fine, but since you’re the one offering, perhaps a cup of hot chocolate will do for me, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course, that’s perfect!” a hint of enthusiasm arises in his voice, astonished that she even went along with his improvised suggestion. “Where would you like to order?”

“Hmm… I think you should lead the way,” a smile forms on the woman’s face while placing an index finger on her chin, insinuating her anticipation. “Seems to me like you’re the café connoisseur.”

The man chortles at her compliment. “I just know quality drinks, that's for sure.”

“Though I do prefer if we go somewhere closer to here,” she requests. “Just in case we catch the next bus arriving.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” he hums. “I think I know just the place.”

He raises the three eco bags off the pavement with his care, although the woman assists him into carrying them properly. However, before she can follow his footsteps, she feels a buzzing in her pocket. Her eyes widened at the message she just received seconds ago.

“Joesonghamnida!” she suddenly bows to him in a fast sequence, her voice mirroring her rushed pace. “I got an urgent thing to do back home. But if you want, we can have coffee some other time.”

He didn’t expect her to say those latter words, but it gives him a sense of hope. That she didn’t misunderstood his intentions. But in a fit of internal panic, rummages his hands inside his messenger bag to find something. Within seconds, he pulls out a wrinkled small card at the same time the woman hails the nearest taxi cab on sight.

“Of course, of course… It’s okay! Here's my call card,” he hands it over. “Just call me up through that number and, umm, we can meet up wherever you like.”

The woman keeps the card inside her eco bag just in time as the cab stops in front of the sidewalk. Opening the backseat door for her, the man helps her get two of her shopping bags in the middle of the seat. Once everything has been sorted out, she turns to look at him—both in relief and guilt—and bows to him once more. “Kamsahamnida, ahjussi... And, uhh, Merry Christmas.”

After she heads inside the vehicle, he sees the taxi leave the mall grounds, heading into a lane of the greater concrete sea and finding a spot among the fellow school of headlights.

“I don't know what just happened,” he whispers to himself, as he sees a pair of bigger headlights approaching from a distance. As it gets closer, more and more people, most of whom are also packed with tons of holiday goods in their arms, behind him start gathering in a line. “I just hope I didn't ruin her night.”

= = =

It's been a few weeks since New Year’s passed. He hasn’t received any calls from her, but he never realized it. After spending time with his family at home, he gets back to slaving away at work through meetings with the higher-ups and on-the-spot presentations. It is still the second week of January, yet everything becomes a blur when it comes to going through his routine. Things repeat in a cycle of the mundane. That has always been the case for him, until he receives a text from an unknown number during his lunch break.

[Unknown]: Annyeonghaseyo, ahjussi. Is this Young Sungwoo?

He shakes his head. His eyes can’t believe it, but the messages keep on being sent.

[Unknown]: I don’t know if you still remember me, but this is the lady from the supermarket.

I’m really sorry for leaving out of the sudden.

I had an emergency back at home.

Whenever you’re free, would you like to have that hot chocolate you promised?

Why is she still texting me? is the first instinctive question that pops up in his mind, followed by Is this a scam?, How is this possible?, The text sounds like her, but why is she apologizing when I’m the one who kept pestering her?, This cannot be happening, among many other thoughts clashing together as the unexpected situation leaves him in a state of analysis paralysis. That's until he takes another look at her last message. The hot chocolate. Of course! How can it not be her?

Assured by the texter's identity, he spends the remainder of his break, thinking of the words to text her back before getting back to his desk, perhaps with perhaps even more effort than most of his recent individual presentations at work since returning to work.

{{Annyeonghaseyo, Miss! Yes, this is Young Sungwoo.}}

{{Gwenchanayo. I don’t mind. I do hope everything’s okay.}}

{{I’m only available after work or during the weekend.}}

{{But I can adjust my schedule if you want to meet on those days.}}

[Unknown]: If you’re free today, then I was thinking later.

Since it’s Friday, you know?

Is that possible for you?

{{That’d be great.}}

{{Do you have a place in mind?}}

The café happens to be about eight minutes walk from his work, surprisingly enough. Entering inside, he sees her at one of the fifteen tables, almost half of which is seated with other customers. As their eyes meet, she waves at him.

“Annyeonghaseyo,” she greets him with a low respectful bow, which he reciprocates before taking the seat in front of her.

“I thought this would be a nice place for us to meet since I saw your company address.”

His mouth gapes, understanding her intention. “So that’s why this place is near our building! But, uhh… I hope I didn’t make you take a long ride.”

“It’s okay, ahjussi!” She raises her hand. “My place isn't that far from here either.”

“Please, don’t call me ahjussi,” he requests with a sheepish tone, raising his tone a little. “I’m not old. I just turned thirty.”

“Well, I’m not that old,” he adds in embarrassment. The man’s lowered voice makes her giggle. “Now that I’ve basically outed my age to almost everyone here, I guess I do count as an ahjussi… But I hope that doesn't make you uncomfortable.”

“Not at all,” she reassures. “Our ages are not that far after all… I’m actually twenty-six.” She then leans into him a little closer, curious at his own misgivings. “And by the way, I don’t even think you look old. You look just about our age… Even if you are an ahjussi, I wouldn’t mind lessening formalities between us.”

“Thanks.” He takes a sip of his cup. “Those hecklers at the market must’ve gotten to me.”

“They do look like they’re on the younger side,” she considers. “Kids these days, huh?”

“That’s true… But I don’t know how exactly their parents raised them, so I don’t think it’s worth holding any grudges against them. A bad day can get anyone riled up.”

His answer intrigues her. It may sound like a little lecture, but his answers resonate with her. “That’s, umm... Quite mature of you. You ever dealt with people like those at work?”

“Pretty much,” he slowly nods with instinct. “It comes with the territory, but we’ve learned that there are much better ways of discipline than screaming at them. Our generation, I mean.”

“I agree.” Her head tilts while taking a glance at him with wonder. In her mind, there’s nothing witty or insightful left for her to add. But I don’t think that should excuse them for making a mistake. They gotta learn how to better themselves.” Except for one.

His face can’t help but form a smile. Now, he doesn’t have anything to add. “Well said.”

Despite them simply being strangers who have met up for drinks, this moment feels nice and calming for them, yet something is still missing. He slowly turns to her with caution. “I–uhh–I haven’t caught your name before.”

“Oh, right,” she mumbles, her eyes growing at his realization. “I told you my age, but not my name, haha. It’s Suhyeon. And by your call card, I can assume you’re Sungwoo?” Her eyes squint with suspicion in an attempt to tease him. “Unless that was your coworker’s name, which you used just to call me or something.”

He chortles at her remark, raising his hands for a second. “That is my name. No tricks.” Sungwoo keeps his right hand raised, signaling an attempt to shake her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Suhyeon.”

“I know, I’m just messing,” she shoots back, right before reciprocating his handshake with a welcoming smile. “And it’s nice meeting you, too, Young Sungwoo-ssi.”

Hoping to initiate their conversation this time, she tries to recall a few details from him since their previous encounter, as well as his card. “Wait, so you are from corpo right? I can’t believe you said I have more experience than the likes of you.”

He lets out a snicker. The fact that she even remembers that surprises him. “My opinion still stands. Some of my colleagues could be freeloaders whenever there’s team projects.”

She sighs just imagining some of his hardships. “That must be a chore to deal with.”

“It is at times, but like what you said, you just get used to it.” The silence is now his cue; it’s his turn to try and get to know a little more about his companion. “So, Suhyeon-ssi, what else do you do for a living, aside from being a kiosk specialist at the mall… since I remember you saying that you’re working from job to job.”

“Well, that was the case.” Her smile grows wider. “I stopped working at the mall about two weeks ago when a friend of mine recommended me to a new and more stable one.”

He puts down his now half empty cup on the table. “What’s your main job these days?”

“Starting from next week, I’m gonna be a company driver,” she informs him. “My friend works there, but I got hired through their interview and test drives.”

“I gotta say, you're quite amazing, Suhyeon-ssi. What can you not do?”

“You’ve been flattering me non-stop, Sungwoo-ssi,” she shakes her head with a snicker, before her hand instinctively reaches to the napkin box and wipes some of the stain off his sleeve. “You didn’t even notice that stain.” She looks up to see his lips, also stained with coffee foam. “And your lips—”

“Oh,” she stops just as the napkin touches his lips, realizing that her impulse has astounded him. “Joesonghaeyo.”

“No, it’s okay,” he tells her. “But I can handle it from here.” He takes the napkin from her hand, igniting a spark from her. “Thank you for noticing this. You got sharp eyes.”

“Must be a force of habit,” she quips, while avoiding eye contact with him. Her mind reflects on her unexpected, ceremonious gesture.

From that moment forward, the two would keep meeting on weekends for coffee and hot chocolate, finding the most mundane yet meaningful things to talk about inside the café. It doesn’t always happen, but when they both agree to meet up, they make the most of it. And whenever none are available, they start using their phones longer, whether through usual texts or calls, almost every weekend night. Through their sleepless hours, they get to know each other, exchanging fun facts about themselves & sharing jokes and memes. Even finding out about their favorite or least favorite things is enough to prolong their conversations from twelve midnight until two in the morning.

{{Sungwoo: Never was a fan of avocados.}} {{But I may consider trying out this recipe.}}

[Suhyeon]: Yah! Don’t just consider (╥﹏╥) I promise, you won’t regret it!

{{Sungwoo: Fine, I will try it out.}} {{Your ingredients on the hot pot were amazing, after all.}} {{My colleagues and I ended up gobbling them all down within an hour.}}

[Suhyeon]: You’re welcome! ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧

{{Sungwoo: And how about my recommendations? I gave you about a hundred dessert suggestions last time. I’m sure you would’ve tried some of them by now.}}

[Suhyeon]: Hmm… I’ll think about it. It was too many for me to remember a single one.

{{Sungwoo: (—_—)}} {{Not one dessert caught your attention?}} {{You didn’t even stop me when I was rambling.}}

[Suhyeon]: Of course, I’m kidding! I did try that coffee toffee ice cream with my buddies. For a store-bought dessert, it's top-tier, that’s for sure. Cheap one too. You really love anything coffee-related, don’t you?

{{Sungwoo: Well, it got me through college and now.}} {{What got you through those times?}}

Sometimes, it takes a longer time for her to reply. He would think she’s introspective about something that’s trivial and mundane, or that he said something insensitive or offensive to her. Maybe he shouldn’t have brought questions like those up, but she always has an answer. Even if they sometimes come off as dismissive or evasive, Suhyeon’s insight resonates with him, to a past that even he rarely calls back to.

[Suhyeon]: Oh, you know… My friends and family. I’m sorry if that sounded cliche, but you get my point, right? Getting through college wasn’t easy for me. For pretty much anyone else, really.

{{Sungwoo: No need to apologize, Suhyeon-ssi.}} {{You got a point there.}}

[Suhyeon]: But that’s way back in the past. I’m quite content with what I got now. For the most part.

{{Sungwoo: I couldn’t agree more.}}

However, both of them are well aware that both or either of these pale in comparison to their meetings in person. Nothing beats the real thing, as a lot would say. Aside from coffee and chocolate, they would start ordering other drinks for once, sometimes even snacks they can munch on after work while they rant or share their thoughts. They found their own little ecosystem within the café’s area. Most talks would last for thirty to forty minutes, sometimes an hour—if not a few minutes longer, if they can’t help it.

Though, it never usually lasts more than that. Suhyeon whines that her parents have a less strict curfew for her even in her mid-twenties, which raises his eyebrow—though he never bothered to ask for any elaboration. She’d do the same thing for him, though there seems to be no problem with him answering her questions like he’s an open book.

“How about you then?” Because of Sungwoo’s amiable views and easy-going demeanor, Suhyeon eventually returns his curiosity by asking him about his occupation more than the call card he gave her about last December. “You must’ve been a marketing manager at your company at this point. You’ve read a lot of trends from the palm of your hand.”

“That’s flattering… But I am not there yet,” he confesses, wearing a simper on his face. “I don’t think I’ll even get there in a while. While being a no-name marketing specialist has its ups, you gotta deal with the rest of your team or even suck up to the older higher ups just to convince them that your idea is worth pushing through. I even don’t have any other time or the privilege to spend on outside work, at least besides these hours.”

“Hmm… You’re not alone. My friends are way out of my league… One’s a gourmet chef. The other’s banker. The other two even got promoted to higher positions just recently!” she lets out a deep sigh. “Until now, I still question why they are still hanging out with me…. Why they’re even making time for me.”

He doesn’t know how else to feel but amazement. “They must be great friends. Just considering how highly you speak of them.”

“Oh, they are!” she exclaims with enthusiasm, only for it to dip down within seconds. “It’s just… Ugh. I don’t wanna admit it, but I feel like I’m just being a burden to them whenever I meet up with them outside.” She places each of her cheeks on her palms, slowly rubbing them up and down as she groans with lower spirits.

“Don’t think of it that way,” he insists. “You still have a lot ahead of you, and plus, you’re not alone. There is nothing burdensome about having close friends… They rely on you as much as you rely on them. Clearly, you all care for each other.”

His words slowly warms Suhyeon’s heart. “Seems like you have good friends yourself.”

“Had,” he retorts. “Most of my friends are just being slaves to our work like myself. Even some of them are staying at home, raising their children, like almost twenty-four seven.”

Her glassy eyes are filled with sympathy and consolation, making her turn her head away from him for a moment as she puffs. Sungwoo senses her vulnerable moment.

“Everyone has their reasons or excuses why they’re busy, I get that... Life just happens.”

What he said casts a gloom over her in the form of less pleasant memories resurfacing.

“Sungwoo-ssi,” she mutters, keeping her own voice from trembling. “I–uhh…”

“What is it, Suhyeon?”

“Nothing,” she clears her throat. “It’s just… What you said was really something. I hope your friends got to do whatever they wanted back then. Not everyone gets to reach their dreams the way they expected, you know?”

“That’s true, but even if that seems to be the case, life doesn't stop after your twenties. I mean, it shouldn’t!” he asserts as a hopeful smile forms on his face. “And that is coming from someone who just left that chapter.”

She turns to him, reading his face. “Sounds like you've had regrets in your twenties.”

“Well, I can't deny that…” He chuckles at her deduction, not out of mockery, but the fact she has read his expression too well. “But then again, don't we all have those at some point?”

The woman gulps at his rhetorical question, but her once facade of somber eyes flare up. Her left hand slowly squeezes her empty coffee cup until the rest of her fingers meet her thumb around it. Keeping his hands clasped under the table, Sungwoo’s peripherals can sense her pent-up emotions slowly breaking out through her actions, although he does not say anything about it. Despite his concern, he knows that she doesn’t have to open up if she’s not ready. Yet for Suhyeon, taking in his honest words cools her down—in a fashion that’s familiar to her. “Butterflies” would be a cliche of a word to describe it. She remembers all too well how she has used that word about someone else before, and how it ended up to where she is now. The good, the bad, and the ugly of it all.

“I’m sure you'll get to reach what dreams you want to do,” he looks at her with solace. “Even if you don't realize what they are just yet. I hope you don’t give up on it.”

She stares into the blank space, considering his words, even though most of her mind has always been discouraging her from imagining anything. Pipe dreams won't get us anywhere, she reminds herself. And why are you even here? This is the last place you should be. But turning to him once again, Suhyeon senses the last thing she’d expected to happen in a long time. Her heart slowly beating faster. You should stop meeting him. Looking down on the floor, the woman just realizes the moisture building up in her eyes.

As tears begin to pour down her face, Suhyeon looks at Sungwoo once again, seeing his hand holding a piece of napkin in front of her. While sniffling, she looks up to his face. He doesn’t say or ask anything, except for the words, “Are you alright?”

“I... uhh... I don't know... But thank you,” she mumbles. Taking the white cloth from his hand, she begins to feel a familiar rhythm within her. One that’s growing louder than the lo-fi music that’s playing on the speakers.

But amidst their moment of bliss, they watch a child entering the café door—standing with daze and confusion while everyone else also looks at her with curiosity, adoration, or concern. Sungwoo expects the nearby young cashier or anyone else to approach and calm her down, yet instead, a collected Suhyeon walks to the girl first with an amiable and sympathetic approach. He follows her, astonished at her initiative and attention, though his worry still lingers for her due to her own moment of vulnerability earlier.

“Hey, little girl,” she kneels on her level. “Are you alright? Why are you here alone?”

“I…” The girl’s voice cracks as she starts to break down in tears. “I don’t know where my eomma and appa are!”

“It’s okay, don’t cry,” she holds her closer, comforting the sobbing child with a slow pat and caress to her back. “Don’t worry, we’ll find her, arachi? What’s your name?”

“Ha…Eun,” she sniffles. “My name… Is Haeun… What… Should I… call you, eomonim?”

Suhyeon uses the napkin to wipe off her tears. “My name is Suhyeon,” she turns to him with a gaze of trust. “And this ahjussi’s name is Sungwoo. You’re gonna be staying with us for a while. We can get you anything you want while we look for your parents.”

Hearing it from her again, he oddly doesn’t mind the term this time. Maybe it’s just the context it’s used that bothered him before, but as it left her mouth, it sounds—normal. It sounds complimentary. “Hello, Haeun-ah,” he greets her. “Do you have anything we can use to help you find your parents? Do you memorize their phone numbers?”

“I don’t—*hic*—know, ahju—*hic*—ssi…” Haeun tries telling him through her hiccups.

Suhyeon notices the lanyard on Haeun’s neck, finding the girl’s ID. “Haeun-ah… Can I take a look at this for a second?”

The girl nods, allowing Suhyeon to inspect the back of the ID. Her guess proves her right. “It has a phone number,” she informs Sungwoo and everyone else in the café, filling up the once disquiet and tense café with optimism. “We can call your parents, Haeun-ah!”

Almost twenty minutes later, a couple storms inside the café with faces of fright and disquietude. “Haeun-ah!” they cry to her. Their unease dwindles down at the second they find their daughter sitting on the table beside Suhyeon and in front of Sungwoo, taking a sip of her own smaller cup of hot chocolate.

“Eomma, appa!” Haeun rejoices, running to them in the middle of the café as her parents wrap her in a warm embrace, prompting cheers from the staff and some customers. Sungwoo can only smile at their precious moment, though he sees Suhyeon letting out a sigh in relief—droplets of sweat start to drip out of her scalp. Yet it also fascinates him that her smile grows much wider.

“Kamsahamnida, Miss!” Haeun’s parents bow to them in a rapid succession, bowing as low as their heads can reach. “Kamsahamnida, Sir! I don’t know how we can repay you. Thank you so much for looking out for our daughter.”

“Gwenchanayo,” she reassures them, holding each of their arms in hopes that they stop bowing to them—which they eventually do. “Just keep looking out after your daughter.”

Another several minutes pass. The sun had already set and rush hour had just begun. Suhyeon and Sungwoo have exited the café, taking a stroll to the nearby bus stop. With no words leaving any of their mouths, they’re only hearing the horns of whining drivers along with their own footsteps. She’s quieter around him, ever since he saw her in tears. It’s the first time she hasn’t spoken to him on their way home.

“You know how to handle that pretty well,” he praises her. “Have you ever considered being a nursery or kindergarten teacher?”

Her eyes widen, realizing something that only she knows. “I have to go,” she tells him with a fast and weak pace, contrasting her enthusiasm earlier. “I’m really sorry about this, Sungwoo.”

“Oh… It’s fine!” He wants to ask why, but he stops himself. He doesn’t have the right. Besides, it’s not the first time she’s told and left out of the sudden, he nudges himself. Even if she doesn’t tell the reason... Even if she won’t tell him the reason the moment they text tonight, like nothing strange ever happened. “Take care… Suhyeon-ssi.”

= = =

Three weeks have passed. Things start to drift apart. Suhyeon stopped texting first after the first week, but Sungwoo didn’t stop. Both people have had sleepless nights, but they never meet. Not even text as often as they did. Due to the gradual fall in their digital and personal interaction, Sungwoo eventually stops taking initiative. As their respective lives go on, he does his best not to succumb to the temptation of texting her over and over, to the point she becomes uncomfortable like he’s often feared since they met.

Of course, it would be far from the last time he receives a text from her.

[Suhyeon]: Hey, Sungwoo-ssi. Can we meet?

No coffee or chocolate. No avocados or desserts. Just each other’s chilling presence and their own breaths warming up this winter afternoon. He notices her new look. It’s not a uniform, but it’s a little more formal than the previous attires he saw her in.

He simply wants to tell her that she’s beautiful, yet his more soured and stubborn self wants to ask her why it took her this long, even though he knows that her personal life has never been his business, nor should it be.

“It’s been a while,” he breaks the awkward silence with a sigh. “Is everything alright?”

“Things have…” Her eyes are darted on the ground, her hands clenching on her knees. “Gotten busier at work.”

He senses that something else is troubling her mind, but he doesn’t want to get ahead of himself. He’s nothing but a friend, perhaps a mere close acquaintance to her. Someone who she can confide her most trivial problems to, and only that. But despite this meek and unassertive thought, he believes that—deep down—that may just be for the better.

“I don’t think I’ll be meeting you in a while,” she continued before he could’ve answered.

“It’s okay,” he said without a tone of complaint. “I understand that. No pressure.”

Such a response struck a nerve in her or punched through her gut. As if that’s not the answer she had hoped for from the man. “What if I don’t see you longer than that?”

“Then…” He wants her to explain why she’s asking him such a question, but he tries to remain reasonable, no thanks to his self-doubt. “I’ll understand if you can’t meet up.”

He feels like himself in the past. Spineless. Dishonest. Numb. Helpless. Coward. Yet another part of him keeps fighting on, despising those traits, not for his own sake, but for her. Since they started meeting up and talking, Sungwoo has known a lot about her, yet there’s still so much he doesn’t know. The same goes for Suhyeon, but he thinks she cares little about that. There is an invisible barrier between them that has been keeping them from going further than this. Whatever this is.

And now, after a few months of making a connection with this wonderful woman, his mind braces for the worst case scenario, just as his heart foresees his fears. Is this it?

Their eyes meet, reading a few glimpses through each other’s souls. Broken. Deprived. Lonely. Yearning. She looks down on his face, his lips now appearing much closer. Her heartbeats do not deceive her, deafening her fear. No words follow from their mouths, only each other’s breaths becoming clearer and louder with each second. Giving in to the whispers of her temptation, Suhyeon gets up from her seat and inches towards him.

Frozen in the moment, their lips touch. Sungwoo melts into the kiss, closing her eyes with her. Seconds pass, warmth turns into a burning sensation. Sweetness turns to hunger, one that neither of them have felt in forever. As the man reciprocates her gesture, the irresistible tingle she’s feeling urges her tongue to slide into his—

“Mianhaeyo,” she takes a few steps back away from him, appalled by her own impulse while catching up her breath. “I… I shouldn't have done that—”

Sungwoo remains frozen for a second, but not his heart. He leans himself closer into her this time, embracing her as the beat of their hearts sync with the rhythm of their second kiss. With their eyes closed once again, Suhyeon doesn’t fight back. Instead, she slowly wraps her arms around his nape in order to pull him closer until their chests collide.

It would be the last time the pair would’ve met…

If it wasn’t for Sungwoo’s stubbornness. Even if it costs whatever they had, he wants to know how she's been doing ever since. Even if she made the move, he either can’t help but blame himself as the reason why she stops reaching out to him after that meetup.

{{Suhyeon-ssi.}}

{{I don’t know what happened then.}}

{{I'm really sorry for kissing you.}}

{{But I know something else is on your mind.}}

{{You can talk to me.}} {{Like you always have.}}

{{Please text back. Or call me.}}

{{Just tell me you’re okay.}} {{Or if you’re not.}}

{{If you really don’t want to meet again. I’ll understand.}}

{{But I’ll always be here.}}

= = =

Another week has passed, and Sungwoo goes on with his usual life—yet, the presence of Suhyeon still lingers on his mind. From the bar to the PC bang, he tries to do everything he can to get the woman off his thoughts. Even online dating—as some of his coworkers suggested to him lately… So he does, and after his twenty-third swipe, he hits it off with someone, much to his own surprise. “You must be Hyewon… Or is it Belle?” he corrects himself immediately. “Your profile has two names. I don’t know what to call you.”

She chuckles at his hesitant question. “Any will do… And you are Sungwoo-ssi, if I am not mistaken?”

Things are taking off for them in the next half an hour. He compliments her appearance. She laughs at his jokes, whether they’re forced or not. They talk about their opinions on certain topics. He fails to read her signals. It’s a start, he admits with little confidence.

But on that same Saturday night, he receives a phone call from an unknown number. He can just ignore the call, let the other party leave a message after the beep, maybe he can hang out with Belle a little longer, see how things go. Unfortunately for himself and his date, he can’t help but be Sungwoo. As someone who has spent his life through his job, every call for him has become an obligation.

He answers it with some caution. “This is Young Sungwoo speaking. Who is this?”

But that voice. Her voice. It's something that he can never forget. “It’s me, Ji Suhyeon. This is my company’s number… I’m sorry if I surprised you. I’m just finishing my shift for the night, and…”

She stops. And despite the past few times they’ve talked on the phone, he can now sense her hesitation from the other side. “You can say it. I won’t mind.”

“Well, I just thought of you,” she completes her words. “Plus, I owe you an apology. In ways more than one.”

He can hear his own heart, making that familiar rhythm. Whenever he was with her.

“It’s okay, Suhyeon,” he stammers, but immediately clears his throat. “How are you?”

“Could be worse, to be honest…” A deep breath from her fills the dead air for a few seconds before Sungwoo can hear her voice again. “Are you free… This weekend?”

There it is. It’s his chance. Maybe his last one.

“You know I am,” he tries to play it cool with her, yet he quickly realizes how awkward he sounded. “I mean, of course... Same place?”

He can hear Suhyeon let out a light chuckle for a moment. “Maybe not at the café,” she suggests. “But somewhere else. If that’s fine with you.”

It’s about the nth time they said those words to each other. But hearing it from her once again is a breath of fresh air. “Elsewhere would be nice, too.”

Returning to the bar, his eyes scan most of the place, only to find that his date is no longer around. He receives a message.

[Belle:] Sorry for dipping early, but I got a thing. We can still hang out another time if you want.

Strangely enough, he doesn’t feel a sense of disappointment. Sure, he’s bummed out he fumbled the date with the first woman he met online in years, but he’s not too bummed out about it because of her. Instead, he couldn't feel any luckier because of this call.

= = =

It’s the fourth of May. Instead of the usual café, they decided to meet at the park outside. They take a seat next to each other on one of the benches, albeit keeping a wide distance. He’s on the left corner, with her on the right. Amidst the silence of the background, they see each other in their springtime attire. Suhyeon is in a brighter dress and jeans, while Sungwoo is finally not wearing a suit for once; instead, he’s wearing a blue short sleeve. Whether or not today ends up being the last time they meet, both of them agree on one thing: it’s about time that they meet each other in the early morning for the first time.

“You look beautiful,” he scratches his head, finally listening to his heart instead of letting his own brain filter his thoughts until they sound more logical or interrupts himself with more filler words.

She looks down in embarrassment, hiding her reaction as she senses her cheeks slowly heating up. “Thank you,” she mumbles. “You look nice, too, Sungwoo-ssi.”

“Thanks… But can we talk about what happened last time—” he continues.

“I know,” Suhyeon interjects with a soft-spoken tone. She takes a deep breath, before looking up to face him. “But I have to tell you something first, if that’s okay.”

“Of course,” he straightens his sitting posture while their eyes level. “What is it?”

The woman gulps involuntarily. “There’s another job I haven't told you about… And it’s not that simple. It’s not that I don’t wanna meet you, Sungwoo, even if I'm busier... It’s just… I don’t know how to say this.”

“Take your time.” Sungwoo doesn’t know why she's suddenly talking about her job, yet he keeps listening, sensing her state of distress and hesitation. “Whatever that may be, and as long as you love it, I’m happy for you. I don’t think our… situation should get in the way of your…”

There it is again, she thinks. “Why shouldn’t it?”

“Because that’s your job,” he counters. “It’s your life… And besides, I can just adjust.”

“I don't think you can.” She can’t keep on lying and hiding like this. He has to know, even if it ruins things, ends things even. “Sungwoo-ssi. The thing is…”

“What is it? I’m sure it’s nothing bad—”

“I have a child, Sungwoo.”

She looks at him with a fortified expression, yet deep down, she feels the most nervous. Especially when his eyes widen after hearing those four words, her thoughts go all over the place, stricken with panic and despair. Not even air comes out from his mouth that moment, something that only intensifies Suhyeon’s unease as his silence lasts seconds.

“Did you just hear what I said?” she asks him up front, slightly raising her voice in an attempt to keep herself from crumbling from within. “I’m a single mother.”

“This job, this responsibility of mine isn’t easy,” she continues before he can make any response, clenching both her fists and finally pouring her heart out. “It never has been. Every year, you get into family gatherings. Not only do you help prepare them, but you buy gifts for your relatives, yet all you get from some of them are blames and lectures for what’s happened to you. And whenever you're with friends, you gotta put on a bolder face just to ask them to look out for the kid while you work your ass off in different jobs from morning ‘till afternoon—or whenever you're applying for one… But there's things I don't regret, at least with what I have now. And no matter how hard things get, I don’t regret keeping him. Raising him.”

At that moment, some things have become clearer to him. Their long and wholehearted talks about life and dreams. The unusual curfew and her leaving out of the sudden. Her encounter with the little girl. Her pent-up emotions finally cracking around him. Now, he realizes why she never told him more of her life, rooted out of the fear and distress that she will be rejected, lambasted, patronized, or looked down on, like everyone else in her life.

“And just like meeting you that night… It’s something that I don’t regret either,” she confesses. “Even if that was some silly chance encounter, it was one of the times I felt something new. So I called you that day to see where it goes, and here we are… But of course—a part of me still keeps telling me: Let it go. You’re a mother now. You don't deserve to have these feelings... You're just giving yourselves a hard time.”

Sungwoo looks at her face. His mind and heart tells her to hold her hand. Say anything. Do anything to comfort her, now that she’s told him the truth about the barrier that has been keeping them from going the distance for months.

Suhyeon’s heart starts to tighten with every beat, seeing his look of guilt and sorrow. It's not the first time she's seen it from someone. “If you don’t want to see me, after this… I'll understand, Sungwoo... I was the one who invited you into whatever-this-thing-is to begin with, didn’t I?”

“No,” he tells her without hesitation. “That doesn’t change what I think about you.”

“It should…” she mutters in defeat, shameful to even look him in the eye as she says it.

“What you said, it only proved what I already thought of you… You’re a wise, beautiful, hardworking, independent, and fearless woman,” he elaborates, allowing himself to be vulnerable with Suhyeon. “And for you to keep that part of your life for long—it must’ve been a pain. It’s something that I can’t imagine. I’m sorry I didn’t ask you sooner. About how you were really feeling. What you’re going through—”

“Don't,” she interjects with disdain, but not for him. It’s too late, Suhyeon thinks while her mouth remains shut. You’ve heard this before. Look at what happened to us. “I’m tired of people telling me that they're sorry. It's not your fault why I'm like this.”

“I know… I’m sorry because I wasn’t attentive enough. That I wasn’t courageous enough,” he adds. “But I am not sorry that it doesn't change how I feel about you.”

Her eyes widen, her mouth agape in shock. Staring through his soul, waves of emotions start to clash deep down in her heart—Awe. Doubt. Denial. Mistrust. Misunderstanding. Fear. Warmth. Comfort. Growth. Excitement. Hope. Joy. Acceptance—while a stream of conflicting thoughts flood her mind. This was bound to happen sooner or later. What’s the point of this? You never had a chance. He’s one of them. You’re a disgrace for ever being here. He'll just leave you. Go home with your son and your parents. There’s no point in hoping, Ji Suhyeon. “Sungwoo-ssi…”

“I like you, Suhyeon-ssi,” he finally affirms, with much stronger conviction in his voice. “I don’t know if it means anything to you, but that’s the truth… I don’t care what comes after this. But I just want you to know that there's no shame in what you are, and what you're going through… I'll always be here for you.”

Suhyeon’s inner thoughts and misgivings shut down. In turn, her heart starts to sing without shame, rejoicing and reaching ranges she hasn't felt in years, as it yearns for something more. His earnest gentleness. His soothing scent. His comforting touch. Unbeknownst to her, he feels just about the same.

She rushes to Sungwoo, laying her head on his chest and wrapping her arms around him. He places his right hand on her head, caressing it. That warm comfort that she’s been longing for, it’s within her grasp. Tears of jubilation begin to drip from her face down to his shirt, as she breathes easier. “Gomawoyo, Sungwoo.”

Gently pulling away from their embrace, she leans back to look at him closely with a warm and grateful smile that mirrors his, letting out a chuckle of relief. “And I like you, too.”

A smile quickly forms on Sungwoo’s face, prompting him to give her a peck on the lips. As she giggles, Suhyeon prolongs the act with a longer, sweeter kiss of acceptance. From this day forward, their months of week to week encounters and meetups at the café end, as a new chapter of their lives awaits. It is unknown as it is promising, exciting as it is frightening. But at least they have each other to face it head-on. Together.

= = =

a/n: hello again! if you've reached the end, then you must've read a good chunk of it. it's not my proudest work, even if it's only my second one, tho I liked writing it for the most part. still, I wanna publish it, 'cause I don't want it to stay in my drafts lol. once again, the aforementioned next fic from earlier is already in progress. anyhoo, thanks for the read. I hope you have a great day!

[z-eel]

im bored, so here are the jobs i think the marauders would have if they were just normal ass people pt 1;

part 2 | part 3

James would work for his father in the company he owns. i'm not sure why but i get the feeling that after he graduated school he didn't really know what he wanted to do with his life so income Fleamont Potter (the man he is) and offered his son some low-level job in the company (we only allow an acceptable level of nepotism). he does regular paperwork and he loves making powerpoint presentations. oh and i get the feeling that James is the one who’s standing by the water cooler making small talk with everyone (in all honesty James is the personality hire and he knows that). the funny part about all of this is that James would tell everyone that he's only there until he figures out what he wants to do with his life and no one believes him (his current goal is to become team leader of a project) there are some people who despise James because he's the son of the ceo. like there have been complaints of James not working and stuff and they complain to Fleamont hoping they fire James and Fleamont's just like ok I'll deal with it (he does not in fact deal with it (James always gets his work done and always has lunch with his dad to give him updates on his work)).

Sirius is funny. i dont know how else to explain it but Sirius would be one of those guys who's like a mechanic but doesn't actually have the job of a mechanic. like he says he is, but he's not. and it's not to hate on him or anything because he's actually a really good mechanic, he just doesn't have the 'official qualifications' or whatever. and the only way he even makes money is by inserting himself in other people's conversations. like he'll be at an auto store and someone's having an issue with their car (about some part or another) and they'll talking with the cashier about it (the cashier doesn't know shit about cars, they just work there). in comes Sirius who'll pop into the conversation and give his opinion and offer to solve the issue for like free (because it's an easy fix) and when he goes they're just like 'no let me pay for this' and it's like fifty bucks, a beer and the request to fix a friends car (it's how he met James). and that's how he would make both friends and clients. also, i just know this man smells like brake fluid (the smell gives Remus a headache).

Remus is an odd one because i see him as being like an interpreter or something similar. and when i say interpreter i mean like the ones in the tablet that the doctors drag around when they don't have an interpreter on site. what language, i don't know, your choice really but i can just see him on the tablet, the image is lagging and the audio is cutting off a bit but know he still looks good with a headset. (i also see him as a Mcdonald's employee, but that seemed too basic for him (again the headset)). generally, i feel like Remus would be a polyglot (he was so bored he learned different languages for fun (definitely, knows like french and german)) so he would be translating a lot. in fact, that's how he met Sirius (you know before he was an online interpreter). Remus is also James' chosen interpreter whenever he is to meet with foreign companies (yes James does meet with other companies because although he's technically he's in a low level position he's still son of the ceo and he trust Remus not to fuck him over).

Peter works as either an accountant or works in marketing. i'm more inclined to say he's an accountant because he would mostly be in charge of Sirius 'business' (he's trying to actually open up an auto shop) but at the same time he would be in marketing in the Potter company and have all of the office gossip (he would be working with James and I one hundred percent believe Peter would be James' boss). Peter would be an absolute terror toward James when he first starts (always sending him out on coffee runs for the whole floor with complex orders, and James just takes it in good fun (no James never messes up an order) but he's the first one to help James if he ever feels overwhelmed by the workload. over time though James starts to do better and eventually becomes Peter's boss, and he's only a little annoyed by this but at least James isn't sending him on coffee runs (no, that's the job of the new intern that James can't keep his eyes off of (oh and god forbid Peter asks for coffee, James would chew him out for 'overworking' the intern)), Peter can't wait for that bit of information to spread through the department, he might just tell Fleamont and Euphemia next time he goes for dinner at the Potters.

this is slowly becoming more detailed than i thought it would be... the girls are up next.